Tempest
by CrazyRopeDragon
Summary: Poe Dameron, the best pilot of the resistance, is sent on a mission directly from General Leia Organa. From the get go Dameron is curious about this field agent he needs to extract, and why the General briefed him personally. When he finally finds this agent, secrets about the Resistance and First Order come to light. SPOILERS AHEAD
1. Chapter 1

Poe had been by Finn's bedside for a while today. He didn't have too much on since the battle over Star Killer Base, and with his free time he had been watching over his friend and taking care of his x-wing. Finn still hadn't woken up, but he had confidence he was going to be okay. He had been sure when they had crash landed that TIE fighter into the sands of Jakku that he had died, but Finn had proved him wrong. He was sure that Finn would wake up. Sure that he would be okay. But then again, he had only gone and gotten himself in a fight with Kylo Ren. Poe didn't much like to think of Ren. Having been tortured by the beast for information, he thought this was pretty rational. While a fight with a crazed Sith was never a good idea, he was proud of the former Storm Trooper for sticking up for Rey. For wanting to rescue her. As he'd heard it, she actually ended up saving his bacon. He was fond of them both. When Poe had arrived back at base after what felt like a re-enactment of the infamous trench run, he was genuinely distressed to find Finn in such a state. But so grateful that Rey had brought him back. He was even more distressed to learn of the death of Han Solo. Everybody liked Han. He had been a Galactic Hero. He couldn't imagine how hard it was on the General. On the fifth day by Finn's bedside, as Poe shovelled a quick lunch into his mouth, General Organa came to see him.

"He's important to you, isn't he?" Poe stood quickly, as a mark of respect for the General. Leia Organa had long been a hero of his.

"Yes ma'am. He helped me escape Star Killer Base. He's a good man." Poe didn't tell her that he just had a good feeling about the guy. That some part of him knew that the two of them should be friends.

The General nodded contemplatively as she looked on at Finn. Poe still hadn't quite gotten over being in the presence of such a formidable and incredible woman. She was capable of getting things done herself and leading a resistance group. That was something he greatly admired in a leader who wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty. He was also aware that the woman was going through an incredibly difficult time in her life. Her trials were many and so very arduous.  
"Dameron, I need to ask something of you. I hate to take you from your time off, from your friend. But I know I can trust you. And this is of vital importance." Poe put the bowl down from his hands and stepped a bit closer so nobody would overhear them. "I have a field agent on Coruscant. They need to be withdrawn and returned to this base as soon as possible." Poe turned to give Finn one last goodbye look, then started to walk with the general.

"How will I find them?" He was starting to set his mind to being away from 'home' for a while. He wondered if Finn would awake when he was gone? Or something worse… No. He wouldn't let himself think about that.

The General gave him the details on Dara Varana, the agent on Coruscant, and the locations for them to make contact.

"If it takes a while, it takes a while. Dara will know how to find you." BB-8 was already at the small passenger ship that the General was walking him to. Well it sure as hell wasn't an x-wing. "Do you have everything you need?" Poe was curious as to why the General was so directly involved in this seemingly minor mission. But he sure as hell wasn't about to question her.

"Absolutely. You'll be seeing me in no time." The General gave him the briefest of smiles before walking away. Poe looked after her for a second with a mixture of admiration and curiosity. Why was the General so invested in this one field agent? There were so many. He climbed into the passenger ship with BB-8 rolling at his heels.

"I dunno buddy. There's something more to this pickup. I just know it." He threw off his leather jacket, and hopped into the pilot seat. He was a little bit excited, a little bit nervous. He had never been to Coruscant, or any other big city planet like it before. He had spent much of his life on military base planets or former base planets. He'd never really been in high-life society before.

When he was clear for take-off, he gently pulled up the ship and gently left the planet's atmosphere. There was no reason for this not to be a smooth, easy mission. Something told him, however, that things were going to get complicated.


	2. Chapter 2

Poe Dameron had never seen so many bright lights, fast cars, and tall buildings. There were races and creatures of all different sorts walking the streets, different languages and cacophonies bombarding his ears. It was brilliant, but he knew he'd hate to live somewhere like this. One wrong turn and he felt as though he'd be lost forever. He had gotten a room in a pretty central hotel and scouted out some of the places the General had suggested he look for this field agent. No luck yet. It was infuriating to not know what this guy looked like. All he had was a name and a small collection of parks, libraries, and one restaurant. This was perhaps the strangest mission he had been on.

He tossed and turned in his bed on the third night of being stuck on Coruscant. He was thinking about everything that had happened. His capture. His torture. His escape. His trek back to base. Finn. He was really worried about this guy. He was genuinely starting to question whether or not he had a crush on the guy or something. He knew it wasn't a good idea. He could see that Finn was head over heels for Rey. She sure was something, in fairness. It was far too warm on this damned planet to sleep. He got out of bed, thoughts of Finn and Rey still swimming in his mind. He dressed himself in the lightest clothes he could lay his hand to. Still threw on his leather jacket though. He had to keep some part of himself recognisable. He realised that in all the time he'd been here he had been seeing the sights, but hadn't been to a single bar.

Poe hit the streets. He liked Coruscant better at night. He felt that it had more soul in the dark. The real characters came out to play when the sun went down. There was no way to know what was going to happen. You might get mugged, you might insult the ruler of a nearby planet and be arrested. It was exciting. Sometimes he liked a bit of unpredictability. He looked in at a few bars as he passed them. They all seemed just a little bit too plastic for him. Too techno. And the drinks they served? Absolute swill. It had been so long since he'd blown off steam. He was going to drink his favourite beer, he was going to talk to people (maybe), he was going to have a nice time. He passed by a slightly darker, less glitzy bar. The music was good and their beer wasn't crap. They actually had that hard to find stuff that he loved so much. He pushed inside the door. The place was nicely packed with people. Not too crowded, but there was a good buzz going. His mood picked up, and he didn't feel so dog tired.

He sat up at the bar, ordered a bottle of beer and sat back to observe his surroundings. People were dancing and talking, flirting, and having a good time. It put a smile on his face. There were some beautiful people here. Some rough characters too. He watched them dance, fascinated. He wasn't much of a dancer. It would take him many a beer before he even considered that. He was taking a swig out of his bottle of fancy beer when he caught the eye of a tall, white haired woman. She was young, probably a little younger than him. He couldn't see much of her face, she was halfway across the bar. But her hair was past her shoulders, she stood proud and gorgeous, and she was looking right at him. He felt a flush of heat on the back of his neck. Were he not on this planet for business… He turned back around and stared at his beer, trying to read the ingredients and not think about that woman. It felt even more warm all of a sudden. He felt himself breaking out into a bit of a sweat. A new song came on. A deep, throbbing beat. Primal. This was not helpful.

"Haven't seen you in here before." A feminine seductive voice. Wonderful. She didn't even have to try. He could tell. He turned around to face the white haired woman. Some of her ivory tresses were braided tightly to the side of her head, the rest flowed free, and somewhat wildly. She wore a tight green dress. The fabric fully covered one of her arms and the other was left entirely bare. She was wearing white heels that were impossibly tall. He couldn't understand how she could even walk on those toothpicks. And then he looked at her face. Sun kissed skin and hazel-brown eyes. There looked to be a wry smile on her soft pink lips. He looked away for a second before giving her a friendly smile.

"Just exploring the neighbourhood." There was no reason to be rude. But he really couldn't do this. He couldn't get tangled up in anything right now. He had a job to do. Dispatched by the General herself. She returned his friendly smile, and for a moment she didn't seem so intimidating. She indicated to the stool next to him, and he nodded. There was no harm in making a friend…


	3. Chapter 3

Talking to this beautiful woman for a few minutes made it perfectly evident that she was exceptionally charming, smart, funny, and truly interesting. Her conversation was intelligent and poignant. Memorable. He was more transfixed by her talk than by her stunning good looks. Poe was well and truly charmed. Mission be damned. He wasn't saying anything against this. Poe would take anything that was coming his way.

"And that, my friend, is why you shouldn't trust a Gungan with their head tilted to the right!" He laughed at the end of her hilarious anecdote. He still had yet to learn her name, but somehow that seemed like such a minor detail. She was vibrant and confident, and that was all that seemed to matter. She had been telling him funny stories as her work as an ambassador for some planet he had never heard of. She was cultured and knowledgeable about the cultures and politics of so many peoples and planets.

"So tell me… What is it you do, dark, and handsome?" She stirred the straw around in her fruity drink, her elbow propped on the bar, resting her head on her hand. Poe gave a dazzling smile at her compliment. Everybody liked to be told they were attractive. Especially by other attractive people.

"I'm a commercial pilot. Just bringing passengers from A to B." He couldn't tell a stranger on Coruscant that he was a Resistance pilot, who battled for the freedom of the galaxy. He certainly couldn't say he was the best pilot of said resistance. It sounded sexy, but it was dangerous and sensitive information. Regardless, she looked impressed.

"A pilot? You must get to see all kinds of beautiful places." There was a note of longing in her voice that matched the look on her face.

"I like it okay. Get to work with a great team. See some interesting things. Fly some beautiful vessels. The uniform ain't half bad either." She gave a small breathy laugh. He'd heard a laugh just like it somewhere before, but he couldn't think where. He liked it though. He liked that there was something familiar about the woman. "There's nothing quite like being out there among the stars. No planets nearby. Just stars and the great dark. It's peaceful. Beautiful. Bigger than all of us." He gazed up into her eyes. He liked them. They were warm and welcoming. Everything about her was welcoming. Soft. Tempting.

They stared at each other for a time, neither of them saying a word, for a time. The music filled in the silence between them. It was pleasant. Just to be able to sit and talk with a beautiful woman. Just to be able to say nothing for once. To not be looking over his shoulder. He felt her hand on the side of his face, saw her getting closer. He had a mission. He couldn't get entangled. She was going to kiss him. He shouldn't let her. But he was powerless to stop her. He wanted this. He wanted a break from being starfighter, x-wing pilot Poe Dameron. He just wanted to be a guy in a bar who got to kiss a beautiful girl and maybe take her home. Her lips brushed his and he responded eagerly. Mission be damned. He'd get to it. He felt her sigh against his lips. This woman knew exactly what she was doing. She sat back a little, and gave him a cheeky smile.

"Hope you don't mind, but I've wanted to do that since I saw you." He felt the flush on the back of his neck again, and gave a little embarrassed laugh. "I don't suppose you want to come back to mine…" she said quietly. He had suspected that was how this conversation would end. Now he was at a point of no return.

"Why not?" He finished the last of his beer and stood up with her. She stepped in closer and kissed him more passionately this time. He felt himself moan at the back of his throat. Her hands were in his hair, her beautiful body was against his. He felt now that there absolutely no decision to be made. There was no way he could have said no to her. Technically, of course he could. But he really didn't want to.

She took him by the hand and guided him out of the bar. He wasn't really paying attention to where they were going. She kept glancing back at him with a beautiful smile. She seemed excited to him. Poe couldn't help but take that as an ego boost. Before long she was pulling him into a very posh looking corridor. Had he been picked up by a rich girl? The building she had brought him into looked to be very old-school aristocratic. Gold enamelling, white marble, actual flowers in fancy vases, probably antique. She pulled him on through the building, up a stairs and into an apartment. Once the door had closed behind him in the dark apartment, she let go of his hand and disappeared into the darkness. When the lights flickered on, she had a blaster in her hand. He didn't even have a second to take in his lush surroundings. His own hand twitched towards his hip to reach for his own blaster. It wasn't there. Of course it wasn't. He couldn't openly carry on a planet like Coruscant. He had been duped by a pretty face. He should have stuck to his original guns and not gotten entangled.

"So. Poe Dameron, I assume, yes? My name is Dara Varana and I'd like to know just who sent you." Things had just gotten a lot more interesting.


	4. Chapter 4

Poe felt a cold pit forming in his stomach. He'd just been kissing one of the General's field agents. The one he had been sent here to find specifically. He'd been taken for an absolute fool. And worst of all, it looked like he wasn't going to get laid. He looked at the woman's face now. She looked guarded, suspicious. Scared? She was completely different. Was any of the conversation they had had together real? She was a spy and she had played him perfectly.

"Put that down, will you?" Poe said casually as he sat down on a plump armchair. Red velvety material with gold stitching. Very fancy. "You were very convincing. Had me fooled."

"Who. Sent you?" she repeated, the blaster still clutched in her hands, aimed directly at him. He was grateful for how much cooler it was in this building. The heat outside had been really bugging him. This was a bit of a relief. But he was having such a mixture of emotions. He felt disappointed. He had just wanted her to be a nice girl who had taken a fancy to him. He felt like a fool that he hadn't kept his guard up and realised that something was off. And he was curious. Dara Varana. He had never heard of this field agent before. And he wondered why the General was directly involved in her retrieval.

"Calm down. The General sent me."

Dara lowered her blaster, but the guarded look stayed on her face. She was staring at Poe intently, as though trying to get inside his head and figure him out.

"Leia sent you."

"Yes. General Leia Organa. The boss. You were to be expecting me. I was sent to pick up a field agent by the name of Dara Varana and return them to base. You're Dara. I'm here to pick you up." He was starting to get a bit irritated. She had been expecting him. There was no need to point a blaster at him. "Wait, are you in some kind of trouble?" He still liked her, and she was one of his own. If she was in trouble he ought to know.

"Only always." she muttered, before putting the blaster down on a stylish wooden table. "And field agent, really? Is that what she called me?" There was a curl of mirth at the corner of her lips. He caught himself staring at her lips, thinking of that kiss. She had been using it as a ploy to get him back to her place, to corner him. But it had felt so real, so good.

"Are you saying you're not a field agent?" he asked, still staring at her lips.

"Of course I am." she said quickly, almost cutting off the end of his sentence. He raised a brow at her. One look in her eyes told him she was panicking a little at her own slip up. He had known there was something more to this mission than the General had told him. She looked even younger all of a sudden. She was scared.

"Hey, look. It's going to be okay. General Organa sent me to come and get you, and I'm her best pilot. She trusts me. I'll get you back to base in one piece, I promise." He sat forward and took her hand. "You can trust me." She snatched her hand away, but she looked a little less scared.

"We can talk about this in the morning. I know where you're staying. I saw you showing up at the… rendezvous locations, and I followed you for a time. I knew you were looking for me." Dara kicked off her shoes and stepped into another room, leaving Poe alone.

"I'll try to pretend that that isn't a bit creepy." he called out. He wondered how an agent like her could afford such luxury surroundings. She must do some very dangerous missions to get such a good wage.

"I'm sorry. I just had to make sure you weren't one of his… I mean weren't with the First File or anything like that." she called back. He thought she was going to be okay. He didn't think anyone was going to hurt her just yet. It was safe for him to leave. He hoped.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He stood and made a hasty exit, before he asked her how much of what had happened was real. He felt stung. He made his way back to his hotel quickly. He wondered if he would ever get an explanation for this odd mission.


	5. Chapter 5

Poe was awoken by BB-8 beeping next to his head. He felt groggy and had little to no idea where he was. He rolled out of bed, and nearly fell onto the floor. He managed to sit up.

"What are… What are you saying? Someone at the door?" True enough there was a hurried knocking on the door of his hotel room. He tried his best to wake himself up as he struggled into a pair of sweat pants. He couldn't find a shirt so he just stumbled over to the door. On the other side stood a woman in a black and red patterned shawl and black pants and boots. Her white hair was tied back in an elaborately braided bun.

"Dara…" He saw her eyes flicker down to his bare chest. "Come in." The memories from last night came back to him. For a brief, beautiful moment, he had forgotten his absolute embarrassment at being taken in and seduced by a beautiful woman only to be nearly shot. He closed the door behind her. "Well. You look… different." BB-8 was twittering away like always. The droid could always sense the tension in the room. In short, it knew its master had been spurned, and it didn't much like this woman.

"Does your droid always insult your guests?" She was trying her best to hide a smug smile. Poe didn't feel embarrassed at all.

"Only the ones who try to shoot me." She spun around looking insulted.

"I never tried to shoot you!" She blushed a little when she caught his smile. "Could you put some clothes on… You're… Making me cold to look at you." She turned away again. Despite the confused frown on his face he was smiling. Maybe she did find him attractive. He threw on a shirt, slipped out of his sweatpants, and threw on some proper pants. As he laced up his boots, she spoke again.

"I'm sorry… For everything that happened last night. I know I probably gave you some really mixed signals." He almost laughed at that.

"You kissed me twice. All so you could get me alone and potentially kill me." He knew she wouldn't have killed him, but he enjoyed winding her up a little.

"I may have kissed you, but I was NOT going to kill you." He threw the last of his possessions into a duffel bag, stripped down the bed (it was just polite) and made for the door.

"Got all your stuff, Princess?" BB-8 rolled over to his heels. The droid had been decidedly silent since the discovery that Dara could understand it.

"I'm not a Princess. And I don't have stuff. I travel light." True to her word the pile of bags he had been expecting weren't piled up outside his door.

"My ship isn't docked far from here, we should be at base tonight. It's a fast little vessel." BB-8 and Dara followed him. He would be glad to have this mission over and done with. He was worried about Finn. He had been away for several days. Anything could have happened.

"I'm glad you didn't lie about being a pilot. I really do think that that's incredible." They were out in the bright sunshine amongst the hustle and bustle of upper-class residents of Coruscant.

"Well you're not wrong." He realised he was being a bit cold, a bit churlish. He was hurt. More hurt by what had happened than he had realised.

"Look, Poe, I'm sorry. But this is the job." He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her. She walked right into him. To be so close to her wasn't fair.

"Everything you said to me last night was a lie. I get it. Part of your cover. It's fine." He stormed off towards the Hangar their ship was in. He didn't hear Dara say; "It wasn't a lie…"

Things on the journey back were awkward. They spent half the journey in silence, with BB-8 occasionally chirping something to Poe up in the cockpit. Dara sat like a beautiful ice-queen behind him in the small vessel's passenger hold. He was tempted on several occasions to look back at her. To admire her. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, and when they had talked last night… She had appeared to be the sort of person Poe would have wanted to get to know better. Like he had thought many times last night, she knew what she was doing. He felt guilty for keeping up this rude silence.

"Are you hungry, Princess?" His voice cracked a little. It had been a while since he'd spoken. He glanced back at her. The ship was cruising at hyperspeed. He didn't need to pay attention anymore.

"Sure." Her voice was quiet. She really did look regal as she sat with a perfectly straight back and a statuesque face. He grabbed one of the ready-made meals out of a cupboard and set about heating it up. He rooted around in his duffel bag for a small box of spice. Once the meal was heated up he sprinkled a little bit of the powder over the food. He filled up a glass with water and brought it over to her, setting it down on the small table in front of her.

"The meals they pack in these things can be really bland. Better to spice them up a little." He sat across from her. BB-8 stayed up in the cockpit to give them some privacy.

"I'm sorry I-"

"Thank you for the-" They had both spoken at the same time. They smiled shyly at each other.

"How about you and I start over. Poe Dameron, Resistance pilot." He offered her his hand over the table. She laughed a little; that breathy laugh again.

"Dara Varana, charmed to meet you." She took his hand and gave him a firm handshake. She stuck a fork into the food and ate it eagerly. "You were right about the spice. This is great!" As she ate, she looked more like that girl he had met in the bar last night.

"So tell me. Why are the First Order out to get you?" Dara stopped eating. He was genuinely curious. He was desperate to know what Dara did, but he knew it was probably confidential.

"Kylo-Ren hates me." she said quietly. Her face look guarded again. And she seemed sad.

"He's a piece of work alright. He tortured me a while back there…" Poe murmured. Dara closed her eyes.

"We're not going to talk about him anymore." she said, clenching her fists. Poe agreed. There was no point talking about him. He had probably tortured them both. It was a dark place he didn't like to think about.

"We won't talk about him." BB-8 rolled in a beeped excitedly at them. They were coming into base. Dara ate the last of her food as Poe went up to cockpit for landing.

His landing was flawless as always. Poe was the best pilot after all. Poe opened the door and walked down the ramp, BB-8 ever at his heels. General Organa was awaiting them. She looked crestfallen when she saw only Poe leaving the carrier. He looked back Dara was still sitting in the passenger hold, looking nervous. She got up and walked slowly down the ramp. The General's eyes glistened when she saw her.

"Dara." Dara came to the bottom of the ramp and threw her arms around the General. Poe did a double take. She shouldn't be doing that!

"Mom." Poe felt the need to lie down.


	6. Chapter 6

**OOC- If I have been calling the First Order the First File, Jebus, I apologise for any confusion. Too many Firsts. Too much Terry Goodkind and Star Wars. (Not enough really)**

* * *

Finn looked even more peaceful than when Poe had left him. He still hadn't woken. Poe sat by his friend's bedside and talked to him about what had just happened the last couple of days.

"So to cut a long story short, I kissed the General's daughter." He felt bad for any harsh words he had said to her. He greatly admired her mother, and he realised that the General had wanted her returned so she could tell her of the death of her father. It was a horrible situation. It was never easy to lose a parent. It may have been a harder loss considering he was needlessly murdered. He felt very bad for her. He also felt bad for himself, now that he was back at Finn's side. He was really starting to worry. He had grown strangely attached to him.

"Finn… Please wake up. Come on. We hardly got to know each other." he pleaded quietly. The man made no sign of waking. Whenever anyone came by to check on Finn, they looked upon Poe very sympathetically. They were starting to see his increasing distress at Finn's state. "Buddy, we got a whole galaxy to save." He spoke softly, putting a hand on Finn's shoulder, almost trying to will him to wake. He felt a small hand placing itself over his.

"He'll wake soon. Kylo Ren's damage has not killed him. He is almost better." It was Dara.

Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes were blood shot. The General had broken the news.

"Dara… I'm so sorry." Her lip wobbled a little at his condolences as though she was about to burst into tears all over again. He stood up and put his arms around her. He hated to see her so sad. She balled her fists against his chest and nestled her head into his shoulder. A sob shook her delicate form. He held her all the tighter.

"I got to see him, at least. A little while before he died… He came to see me." she sobbed. Her voice was muffled and distraught. Poe stroked her hair and made comforting shushing noises, in an attempt to soothe her. "Now there's only three of us."

"Three of you?" She sobbed harder into his shoulder and he never got his answer.

"I just… I just came to say th-thank you. For finding me, even though I wasn't particularly nice to you a-and-"

"That doesn't matter now. You're with family." He really didn't know what to say. He knew himself there was nothing you could say to a child who had just lost a parent. The loss was irreconcilable. He had never known that Han Solo and Leia had had a daughter. But he imagined Han would definitely be a doting father. He could see by her absolute devastation that she loved him very much. They stood there clinging to each other. He knew how she felt. It made him very sad to know exactly the horrible emotions she was going through.

Dara took a step back, and rubbed at the tears on her face, trying to dry her cheeks.

"I have some things that I need to do, now that I'm back. I'll need a couple of days, but I was wondering if you could help me. I've cleared it with Mom, I mean the General. I just wouldn't blame you if you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me."

"I'll help you out. I mean I don't know what exactly you need my help with, but I can try right?" She gave him a watery smile of thanks. Her eyes shifted to Finn lying behind him.

"I'll leave you two alone. He's waking up." She withdrew when Poe turned his back to stare in shock and delight as Finn opened his eyes. Finn groaned in pain. His wounds had been a bit scary, but Poe was so happy to see him awake, he hugged him tightly. Finn let out a yelp of pain.

"Sorry! Oh man am I glad to see you awake!" Finn just continued to groan in pain. Poe imagined he must be aching all over.

"Is Rey okay? How long was I out?" Poe had been right. Finn was sweet on the girl. Poe sat down to fill Finn in on everything.

"Rey is fine. She kicked Ren's ass and dragged you onto the Millenium Falcon. She found Skywalker. I assume she's training with him now. And you've been out for… for a while." Finn seemed to be relieved that Rey was okay. He had heard about Finn trying to take Ren on his own, with a lightsaber he had no training in. It had been stupid, but incredibly brave. He knew there had been a reason he had liked the man.

"I need to get to her." Finn tried to get up. He was visibly still in pain. Poe pushed him back down gently. His hand stayed on his shoulder.

"She's okay. She's where she needs to be. Nobody else knows where she is. It's been kept between the General and her top tier people. You need to rest and get better. That's what we all want. We just want you to be okay, man."

Finn lay there for a while in a companionable silence with Poe. It must have been terrifying down there in the forest. Kylo Ren was formidable. His use of the force was brutal, and his anger was vicious. Not knowing what was going to happen to his friend must have been terrible. And then to wake up somewhere completely different… Truly awful.

"I saw Han Solo die. Kylo Ren killed him. Cold blood. Han was just trying to talk to the guy. I don't know why he did it. But he just… slaughtered him."

"The General knew before we even came back to base. She just knew. Those Skywalkers, huh?" He wondered if Dara could sense things like that, the way that Leia could.

"Who was that girl you were talking to when I woke up?" There was mischief in Finn's voice.

"It's not what you think. That's the General's daughter, Dara. She just found out her dad died… I had to pick her up from Coruscant." He watched Finn struggle for words.

"Wow… That's really… uh…. Not so good." His struggle for words was almost endearing.

"You're telling me. Before we knew any of this, before I knew who she was, I kissed her. Twice. Went home with her. Can you believe it? The General's daughter! If Leia ever finds out, I am in deep shit." Finn gave an awkward chuckle.

"Now this story I've got to hear."


	7. Chapter 7

Finn was getting better every day. He was up and walking again, getting the details on everything that had happened in his absence. He had to be reunited with BB-8 who positively freaked out when it found out Finn was okay. Finn didn't understand a beep of anything the droid was saying, but Poe assured him it was all good. They would occasionally see Dara around the base. She looked stony faced and grim. She looked sick, tired, gaunt. Whenever Poe got the urge to go over to her and see if she was okay, he quickly thought better of it. Somehow he knew she just wanted to be alone. The General was showing more of a brave face, and was continuing her excellent work leading the Resistance. She hardly spoke two words to him, but he expected no different. She was a busy woman. Finn was giving as much valuable information about the First Order as he could. Poe was happy to see that he wasn't greeted with too much distrust. Most people seemed to understand that Stormtroopers were conditioned since childhood to be what they were. And Finn had broken free of that. He had been stolen away from a family, most likely and conditioned to be the way he was. Poe couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have been even like.

It was nice to finally get to know Finn. He was just as quirky and endearingly clueless as Poe had thought he was. But he was a smart and brave guy. His actions had certainly proven that. Finn told his story of his adventures with Rey and everything that had happened since they had crash-landed that TIE fighter. Whenever he spoke about Rey, he sounded like he really admired her.

"She sounds like a hell of a girl." Poe said, when Finn was recounting the tale of how Rey had flown the Millennium Falcon back on Jakku. Finn caught his probing look.

"Okay, I guess I like her a little." Poe quirked a brow. "Okay more than a little." Poe was laughing when he saw Dara approach him, her face set with determination. He stopped laughing and straightened up in his chair. Finn had sense enough to stay silent as she approached. She was still wearing black, her long white hair scraped back in that braided bun. Her eyes were rimmed red from crying, her face was pale from sorrow and tiredness, she had bags under her eyes, but she looked calm.,

"I need you to take me to a point on the opposite side of the planet." Her voice was monotonous. Grief had drained her. Poe looked at Finn and gave him a nod as a means of saying goodbye. Finn nodded back. He started to walk with Dara.

"I have one condition."

"What?" she said, shortly.

"You have to eat first."

"No."

"Then I'm not taking you anywhere." She stopped walking and turned on him. She looked a little bit angry. "I know what you're going through. I know you probably haven't eaten in a while. I can tell to just look at you. You're going to get some food with me, then I'll take you where you want to go."

"I'll just get another pilot! You're not special, Dameron." she snapped. She started to storm away from him.

"Fine. But they won't care about what you're going through. You need someone to care right now." That stopped her. "It's just food, Princess. It won't hurt you." She looked fit to spit fire. She was either going to storm out of his life forever, or she'd let him take care of her. He wasn't going to back down.

"Fine." It was a begrudging remark, but he'd won the showdown. She came back to him and they headed down a dark, grey corridor towards the canteen. "I'm not hungry." she said in a small voice.

"You'll surprise yourself." The canteen had a cluster of pilots, engineers, and ground troops. A good deal of them waved and shouted banter at him. He gave them all a nod. It was a big room, they'd have a little privacy at least.

"Sit. I'll be back with food." Poe hopped over the counter in one fluid motion and went into the kitchen in the back. He cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl, poured in some milk, chopped some spring onion, and bacon. He fried it up quickly enough in a pan. He poured her out a large glass of water and came back out to her. He sat in front of her at the trestle table and placed the food in front of her. He could see that the smell was already working on her. He pushed a fork across the table, silently. She picked it up, still staring dubiously at the omelette. She scooped up a mouthful onto the fork and took a delicate bite. Before long the omelette had disappeared. She gulped the water down.

"So you cook too?" she muttered, meekly. Poe gave her a warm smile.

"My mama taught me. Feel better?" She nodded. He seemed to have calmed the tempest that had been threatening to whip him in the face. He made a mental note. Dara had a temper on her when she was in a strop.

"Thanks." He could tell she was feeling bad for having snapped at him earlier.

"Come on. We have places to be." He waited for her to get up, and they walked together to the hangar.


	8. Chapter 8

It was freezing cold and raining on this side of the planet. Poe hated it. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his leather jacket, and hunched his shoulders to try to keep himself warm. Poe and Dara trudged through the rain towards a cave.

"I hate the rain." Poe muttered. He could almost feel Dara rolling her eyes at his admittedly redundant statement. He had gotten the ship pretty close to the very specific cave that Dara wanted to go into.

"Stay here." Dara said, putting a hood up around her delicate face.

"Pfft. As if." And now he was out in the rain, like an idiot. But he wasn't going to let her go anywhere alone. Not when she was in the state she was in. It took them far longer to reach the shelter of the cave, and when they did, they were gasping for breath, and soaked to the skin. The entrance to the cave was narrow, so they were very close together, yet again. They looked into each other's eye's for a moment, their faces inches apart. Poe had never wanted to kiss anyone quite so badly before. His eyes darted to her plump lips, glistening with the drops of rain that clung to them. He could see her glancing down at his mouth. He couldn't do this. She was the General's daughter, and he was her best pilot. He looked back up to her eyes. Things were ridiculously intense now. She was looking right back at him. He squeezed past her into the dark cave, and lit a flare, the red light really making matters just a little worse. She looked striking in any lighting, but extreme lighting highlighted her excellent bone-structure. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his wet locks.

"So… What exactly are we doing here? We need to fight a dragon or something?" he quipped over his shoulder.

"Nothing so fanciful as that I'm afraid." She stepped into the cave, looking around at the walls. It wasn't a big cave, but it was cosy. Despite that, Poe was still frozen, and he was starting to shiver. He dropped the flare on the ground and it illuminated the entire cave. "I'm looking for something I left here a long time ago. Are you okay?" His teeth were starting to chatter.

"Radiant. What are we looking for?" She didn't answer. Well. He couldn't help then, could he? "We're looking for silence? Wonderful."

"Shut up." She meant it playfully, there was no harm in it. Poe searched along the walls of the cave. Blank and smooth. "Here it is!" He came to stand by her side. There was a small child-like drawing of a man with a sword scratched into the rock. Poe's face looked like a thunderstorm.

"You dragged me out into the cold and wet for this?" This time he actually saw her rolling her eyes. Beneath the drawing there was a hole cut into the rock. Dara stuck her hand inside and rooted around. She pulled out a dusty package. The air of mystery just increased about tenfold. What the hell was that? Dara held the package in her hand for a time, not moving and simply staring at it. This was something important, he could just tell. It felt as though everything was about to change.

"What is it?" His voice cracked a little. She stood and turned to him. It seemed she couldn't say a word. She quickly put a hand behind his head and kissed him, just as she had done that first night she had met him. It was passionate, warm, tempting, and for some reason, it felt final and heart-breaking. He put on hand on her waist, the other on her face, and kissed her back, just as he had been longing to do for so long. For a moment in that cave, all alone on the other side of the planet, he forgot everything that had happened. He was that guy in the bar again, and she was that beautiful girl. He forgot how that night had ended, that she was the General's daughter, he forgot all of it.

When they parted, he felt a little big light-headed. He was still holding her, hoping that maybe everything hadn't been a lie. She looked quite sad again.

"After today, I can never kiss another person…" she muttered miserably. That took Poe by surprise.

"What?" She started to unwrap the package, revealing a metal cylinder. He didn't understand what he was seeing. She stepped out of his reach and was soon illuminated by two green blades of light. She was holding a lightsabre.

"It's exactly how it looks, she said miserably." Poe was shaking his head.

"No. Don't say it…"

"I'm a jedi." Jedi weren't meant to love people. Weren't meant to have relationships and kiss people. She'd done it again. She'd stung him. But he felt sorry for her too. It couldn't have been an easy life, being a Jedi. Dara didn't deserve any more hardship. But kissing him like that… She was just making this hard for the both of them.

"Dara… You're the General's daughter. I'm her best pilot. You can't be kissing me like that. You might get me in some major trouble…" He didn't actually care about that, but he couldn't say she was stomping on his heart repeatedly. He could have her, he couldn't have her, he could have her again, but only for a second because she was jedi. She turned off the lightsabre.

"If that's all you care about take me back to base." she said, deadly. He cursed himself for saying it, but it seemed he may have put the final nail in the coffin.

"I care about you…" he said quietly. But she'd already left the cave, and she couldn't hear him.


	9. Chapter 9

Dara and Poe were avoiding each other on the base now. He hated it. This was stupid. But what could he do? He'd said a stupid thing. He hadn't promised to keep her secret, but he kept it anyways. Dara was a jedi. A beautiful jedi who was charming, and intelligent, who had kissed him three times now, and who was not talking to him. What was he meant to do with that? He would trudge around the base. His stolen moments with Finn were probably the best part of his day. Finn was crawling up the walls with nothing to do all day. Poe couldn't really help him there, and he certainly wasn't going to make him do a crappy job. He spoke to the General about maybe letting Finn get trained up for combat. It was in talks, but he was hoping that Finn would have something to do soon. As for himself, he had been given a batch of recruits to train. A new x-wing squad was a tricky thing to hone. He was trying to teach them formations and put them through their paces, but it was frustrating work. This wasn't the sort of job they should be giving to him, but he supposed that an order was an order and he had to give it his all.

One night after a particularly frustrating day, with a little bit of progress, he sat in the kitchen with a piece of cake and a scowl. The cake was delicious, but he had a headache, and his humour wasn't great. He stabbed the cake angrily with a fork.

"What the cake ever do to you?" Poe looked up to see Finn. Poe gave him a nod by way of greeting, but didn't answer. Finn sat anyways. "What's wrong?" Poe sighed and put the fork down. He was turning a perfectly decent cake to mush and crumbs, and to be honest, the cake didn't deserve it.

"I messed up with Dara, and these recruits are just… It's not my job." he uttered quickly, before he said anything he'd regret about the recruits.

"It's not your job, but something will come around. They're getting better though. And you should see their faces, getting to work with the legendary Poe Dameron." That put a smile on his face. Poe had a little bit of an ego. He wasn't arrogant, but everybody liked to have their ego stroked.

"Thanks. I mean, they have great potential. I just hope I'm not rushing them." Finn picked up Poe's fork and started to eat some of the cake that was still left standing.

"What did you say to Dara?" Poe didn't want to answer that. He had been so stupid. He was still hurt from being made a fool of, and then to be kissed again by the same woman who had held a blaster on him the last time it had happened… For her to say it would never happen again. She was dangling herself in front of him and then snatching herself away at all times. She wasn't even letting him reach out for her, but she had still somehow managed to reel him in.

"I just said something dumb, and she's real angry with me. I mean… I don't even understand why she's toying with my emotions that much." Finn nodded sagely, but Poe knew he hadn't much of a clue about these things.

"I think if you want to be involved with someone who doesn't toy with your emotions, you should just date a man." Finn shrugged. That was his best advice and logic, he could tell.

"Are you free?" Finn laughed.

"Very funny." Poe wasn't joking, but maybe he'd bring that up another time when Dara was absolutely done with kissing him.

"I dunno Finn. You are a catch. Rey is lucky to have you." Poe shrugged, and wrestled the fork back out of Finn's hand.

"I wish. We're not together. I don't think she's interested. I mean, I'm not giving up… If I ever see her again."

"Maybe you should just date men…" Poe quipped. Finn smirked.

"Maybe. You free?" He supposed Finn was joking.

"I dunno, you'll have to ask Dara if she's done toying with me, and if I'm allowed to play with other people." He rolled his eyes, and grinned at Finn.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday, Leia said that one of the guys is gonna train me up in combat. Like hand-to-hand and blasters and stuff. Finally something for me to do!" Poe was genuinely delighted to hear that.

"Before long you'll be kicking my ass!"

"I'd never kick your ass, Poe…" Finn was oddly solemn.

"Uhh… Thanks buddy. That's a real solid you're doing me." A pilot from another table threw a ball of paper over at them.

"YOU TWO SHOULD GET A ROOM!" he yelled. Poe turned around to see who it was. He grinned at her, and made a rude gesture as a joke. He decided he wasn't in such a bad mood after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Poe's new squad of x-wing pilots were now much better than they had been to begin with. He would actually come back to base from manoeuvres happy, and on good terms with the other pilots. He was starting to make friends with them. He was doing better with his promise to himself that he wouldn't think about Dara. He was getting quite close t Finn, who would come back from combat training aching all over, but with a smile on his face. He definitely liked the man. He was a little bit sweet on him, but he felt like it wouldn't go anywhere, not while Finn's head was filled with Rey. Poe was okay with that. He wasn't really the sort of person to get absolute obsessions. He was patient. He could enjoy their friendship in the meantime. He was feeling happy in himself, he was sleeping better, he hardly thought of the mental and physical torture he was put through on Star Killer Base. He still had nightmares every now and then, of course, but things were looking up for him.

He was tending to his x-wing, Black One, with BB-8, making sure things were fine tuned. His x-wing was always in perfect nick. This ship was his baby. It was a pleasantly warm day on the base. The sun was shining, there was a bit of a breeze, hardly any cloud cover. Poe had hung his leather jacket up on one of the wingtips, and he had his sleeves rolled up. His hands were covered in engine grease. He was feeling right at home. BB-8 pointed out Dara walking right past him. Poe turned to look, and sure enough she was walking out across the landing bay, clad head to toe in black, not even a bit of red to liven her up. She looked ferocious, intimidating, and just very sad. He noticed that she didn't have a single friend on base. She only had her mother, but nobody knew they were related and they kept it that way. She sure as hell didn't make herself approachable.

"Princess!" he shouted, before he even had time to think about what he was doing. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to glare at him. Her face softened when she saw him, but none the less, she still had a steely gaze. She walked over to him and stood in front of him in silence. "I know I probably should have said this sooner, but… I'm real sorry about what I said. Honestly. I didn't mean it. I care about you, Dara. I don't like seeing you so sad. If I can do anything to cheer you up I will. I'll even stop being such an ass towards you." He idly wiped his hands on an already filthy rag and waited to see if she could forgive him.

"Poe…" Her voice was just as delicate and feminine as he remembered. "I realise now that I've really just been really inconsiderate. I mean, you have emotions, your human, and I think somewhere along the line, I must have forgotten that, because I've just treated you abysmally. I shouldn't have toyed with you like that. I'm sorry." This was obviously a speech she had been thinking about and rehearsing for a while. It still took him by surprise. So she realised what she had been doing to him? Finally.

"It's okay." he blurted. No. It really wasn't. He was confused and hurt, and generally disappointed by the whole thing. "Can we just be friends again?" He was worried about her. Yes she'd done some pretty dumb and hurtful things to him, but was still a little bit invested in her. He decided to take care of her, and he had to see that through. He saw her smile for what was probably the first time in weeks. "That's what I like to see." he said, jokingly. She smiled all the more at him.

"Thanks. For not giving up on me."

"No problem." he said with a shrug. But that meant a lot to him. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"Poe… My mother doesn't know everything that's been going on. But she's going to ask you to take me to Uncle Luke… You can say no, if you want to. I told her to let you say no if you wanted to." She looked quite innocent and nervous again. He got the distinct impression that Dara was a young woman who had been forced to grow up very quickly in her childhood. Sometimes that innocence that had to be ignored for a while shone through.

"I can't say no to the General." He thought about it for a while. He honestly wouldn't mind. Somebody needed to keep an eye on her, and it might as well be him. He'd also get to meet the famous Luke Skywalker. And he'd get to see Rey again. Rey…

"Can Finn come? He needs to see Rey." Dara crinkled her brow and thought about it.

"I don't see why not. I've seen the good in him. He's not their thrall, he's not their spy. He's on our side." Okay so maybe he wasn't ready to part from Finn again, but he genuinely wanted him to see Rey again. He was very into her, and he needed to see if anything would come of them.

"Thanks Dara. I'll throw some things together. Will I just be dropping you off, or will you need me to stay for a while?" He could see her cheeks redden.

"Mother would like for you to stay for a time. To make sure I'm okay. I'm not a pilot or anything. And I don't know how Uncle Luke will greet me. I'm sure things will be okay." He nodded. He didn't really know what to say to that. Uncle Luke. It sounded very strange to hear THE Luke Skywalker referred to as Uncle. And he didn't want to get caught up in any Skywalker family drama.

"I've been meaning to ask you… Why is your name Varana and not Solo?" He really hoped he wasn't being really insensitive, but he had been very curious since he had found out who she was.

"It is. Varana is my middle name. I just dropped the Solo bit so people wouldn't know who I was." She gave him a smile then she continued to walk wherever she was going. Poe watched her walk away. He tried his best to keep his eyes from gluing themselves to her backside. But he did notice she had more of a bounce in her step. He was glad they had finally talked.


	11. Chapter 11

True to Dara's word, General Organa summoned Poe to give him the mission of taking Dara to her uncle. She revealed to him the location of the planet he had been holed up on for years and gave him the co-ordinates. He had authorisation to take their best passenger vessel. It was large enough to carry about ten people, with a nice passenger hold and beds. He supposed they'd need them. Their journey was going to be several days long. Finn had been over the moon to find out he was finally going to re-join Rey and had packed what little clothes he had (a lot of it given to him by Poe) and had rushed to the passenger ship. Dara had shown up with little to no possessions, dressed practically with her hair tied back tightly as it always was these days. BB-8 was with its master as always and was waiting eagerly to take off and see Rey again. Finn, bless him, was making pleasant conversation with Dara. She was responding shyly, but kindly at least. He was glad his two friends could play nicely together.

It was the night of the second day of their journey to the distant planet where Luke Skywalker was located. Poe sat up in the cockpit, his feet resting up on the console, his arms crossed, as he sat back and stared out at the stars whilst the others slept. Watching the stars fly past him so fast had become a comforting sight. He hadn't slept at all whilst on this journey. He knew he'd have to eventually, but he was aware he was the only actual pilot on this ship. If something went wrong he needed to be able to react and take care of it. It didn't stop him from dozing off now though. He was dog-tired. He closed his eyes, just for a second, just to give them a break. BB-8 would let him know if anything needed his attention. Before long he was out like a light snoozing in his chair. Sleep did not take him to a peaceful place. He was strapped onto a cold metal table. His head hurt and he thought he could feel dried blood on his forehead. The masked monster Kylo Ren paced in front of him. Poe stared forward defiantly, not willing to give up the information without a fight. Then he felt the assault on his mind. The sheer pain of it made him scream in agony. He could feel Kylo Ren clawing at his mind, tearing asunder his thoughts and memories, searching for the information he wanted.

He awoke with a start, and almost fell from the chair. Dara sat beside him, looking worried.

"Are you okay? You were talking in your sleep…" Poe's heart was racing. The dream had felt so real. It had felt as though he was back there on Star Killer Base.

"I hope I didn't say anything incriminating." he joked, but his heart wasn't in it. She looked no less concerned. "I'm fine. I promise."

"You haven't slept since we left, Poe. I think you should get some rest." He took his first proper look at her. Her long white hair was down around her shoulders again, and she had a pillow mark on her left cheek. She was bare-footed and wearing a long flowing top with dark comfy looking pants. She looked perfect. He couldn't help but smile a little bit. It was a reminder to him that she was still human despite her being a jedi.

"Did I wake you?" She gave a small nod, and avoided his gaze. She curled her feet up on the chair and hugged one of her knees.

"Don't worry, Finn is still sleeping. I think he's a heavy sleeper."

"I'm sorry. Just… a funny dream is all. I'm okay."

"You're not. I can sense your distress." He had a sharp comeback in mind for that comment, but he bit his tongue. It wouldn't do to be rude. And he wouldn't mean it.

"It's just a bad dream, Dara. Nothing to worry about." She looked sceptical and looked as though she was about to push him to tell her. A tactical retreat sounded like a better plan than going through his torment step by step with Dara, whose father had been slaughtered by the same man who had tortured Poe. "I think I'll take your advice. Get some sleep. BB-8. Wake me if anything happens."

He beat a hasty retreat to the room Finn was sleeping in. His gentle snores were endearing. Poe shed his jacket and kicked off his boots. He climbed into the bed across from Finn and pulled the blanket high up around his face. This had been a good idea. It didn't take long for Poe to drift off to sleep. Not particularly peaceful, however. He was haunted at every turn by a dark character in a hood with the power to make his brain bleed. But there were less harrowing dreams too. He dreamt of Dara, her long hair blowing in a breeze. He dreamt of her being happy and laughing. He dreamt of Finn. He dreamt of Finn being happy and in love. Just not with Rey. Things got a little bit hazy when Dara popped into that dream too. Suffice to say, that after a time, he had an excellent night's sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Over the last five days, the three of them had really let loose and had a bit of fun. There was nothing else to do on the ship while they were travelling but to spend time with each other. They ate together, and Poe got to show off what little culinary mastery he could muster from the prepacked food. They played stupid card games and generally had a blast of a time. Poe felt that Finn really was the glue that was holding them together. He had seen how well he and Dara did on their own. It was good to have Finn with them this time so nothing could go astray. He liked to see his two friends getting on so well. Dara seemed to be picking up, her mood improving. He could still hear her crying in quiet times, but he understood that she needed to do that. He could be of a comfort to her by being her friend. She was eating well, she was sleeping okay, and she was getting on really well with both of the men.

On the sixth day, Finn shook Poe awake. He looked grim. It took Poe a second to register this. He wasn't the best person in the galaxy at waking up.

"What is it?" He rubbed sleep from his eyes and staggered upright, standing very close to Finn.

"It's Dara, man. She's in some sort of trance, or something, I can't get through to her, and your droid is freaking out." Poe was starting to wake up, and his mind was kicking into gear. He could feel the gradual deceleration of the ship from hyperspeed. Poe bolted for the door and ran up to the cockpit. As he ran through the common area, he spotted Dara kneeling on the ground, her back perfectly straight, gazing ahead into the distance. He didn't have time to stop and talk. He leapt into the pilot's seat in the cockpit and took the console. He had been right. The ship was coming out of hyperspeed. BB-8 twittered at him furiously.

"Yeah? Well then you should have gotten me! You know Finn doesn't understand you." Poe took manual control of the ship and slowed her down to get her into the right position. They entered the atmosphere just a little bit too fast. Things got bumpy, but he managed to keep control of their descent. Finn was staggering up beside him. He nearly fell into Poe's lap, which would have made flying the ship a bit difficult. When they broke through the cloud-cover, he had slowed down enough to make a safe landing.

The land was breathtakingly beautiful. Green verdant islands and cool blue ocean. The islands were rocky and steep outcroppings with jutting, steep cliffs. It was glorious. Poe instantly loved it. He was determined to remember this view forever. He gently set the ship down on the island that he had coordinates for. All things considered, it was a good landing. He sat back and released his pent up breath.

"Close one…" Poe rolled his neck and took a second to let the tension out of his body.

"Maybe you should go and see what's up with Dara. I'm worried about her." Poe nodded and got up, still reeling from everything that had happened since he had woken up. He made his way back into the passenger hold. Dara was still kneeling on the floor staring off into the distance. Her eyes were glazed over. She didn't even react when he waved his hand in front of her eyes. He felt a little strange. The air felt thick, he felt like his mind was moving slowly. He put a hand on her shoulder. He felt pressure keeping his hand from touching her, but he pushed through it. Upon contact, the weird atmosphere lifted. She looked up at him.

"He knows we're here. He's coming." Poe was going to automatically ask who, but his mind caught up. Luke Skywalker knew they were here. Poe didn't know anything about jedi besides the myths and bedtime storied about their powers. But he suspected that Dara was powerful. More powerful than he had even time to realise. He had literally just felt the power oozing from her.

"Are you okay? You don't look too happy?" She looked up at him with those big hazel eyes of hers.

"I'm nervous." she admitted. He was surprised she told him that. Maybe she was letting him in at long last.

"It'll be okay. I'll be here. And I can fly this ship, and if you need to get out, I can take you away from here. Now I'm not even gonna say I could kick your Uncle's ass, he could floor me, most likely. But I can fly shis real good." She gave him a smile. She looked as though she really appreciated it.

"Careful. I might just take you up on that."

They had about an hour to kill according to Dara. Poe wasn't even going to ask why she knew that. He instead had time to talk to Finn, who was also looking nervous. Poe was beginning to wonder if he should be feeling nervous? Everybody else was doing it. Stressing out like this just wasn't for him.

"You looking forward to seeing her?" Finn shrugged and just looked more nervous if that was possible. "She'll be really happy to see you, Finn. She was very worried about you when she had to go. It'll be fine. If she doesn't swoon and fall into your arms, then I will." Joking was always a good way to lighten the mood. He got a smile from Finn, but it didn't stick. His flirtation had never failed him before. He was starting to buy into the true gravity of the situation.

"What if she's angry that I followed her? What if she tells me to leave?"  
"Then tell her I'm your ride and I have to stay with Dara." Finn didn't look reassured. "Look, from what I've seen of Rey, she's a really lovely person, and she cares about you. A good deal. You two will be a beautiful couple. You'll make us all sick. And jealous." Finn nodded. He really wasn't in a talkative mood. Poe couldn't understand why his assurances weren't working. He was great at this.

"They're here." Dara said as she stood, abruptly. Finn and Poe turned to look over at her at the same time. She was making her way towards the exit. Poe and Finn threw on their leather jackets. He was glad Finn had kept one of his. It really did suit him. They ran after the jedi, and waited with her as the ramp lowered. Stepping out, Poe saw Luke Skywalker for the first time. Bearded and silvered, he was still a looker. But he was exceptionally intimidating. With his face cast in shadow, he was solemn and stony faced. Poe thought he could see the glint of a metallic hand within those robes. He was standing in the presence of a legend. Now he felt nervous. Almost as nervous as the first time he met the General. Beside him stood the beautiful Rey. She looked surprised. When she saw Finn, a smile cracked her face that would have illuminated the darkest night. When Finn had touched the ground, Rey ran to him and threw her arms around him.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" BB-8 rolled down the ramp after them and twittered excitedly at its happiness at seeing Rey again. Poe was watching Dara closely as she made towards her uncle. She bowed her head a little when she stood before him.

"Master." she intoned, quietly. Luke was impossible to read.

"The Tempest has returned." Poe could see Dara physically flinch at that title. He didn't understand it. What did Luke mean by the Tempest. Luke put his arms around his niece and hugged her tightly. "I'm very sorry about your father. I felt his passing keenly. I was very fond of him." Dara stepped out of her uncle's embrace and turned to look at Rey.

"I've come to help her. To help. In general. Ren must be stopped. It is my duty to do this."

"Be careful, my niece, that you do not walk on the side of the darkness. Revenge belongs in the shadows." Poe could almost feel Dara bristling.

"I don't care what's light side and what's dark side of the force. I just care about what's the right thing to do. So we must train. Yes? I'll head to the dwelling." She walked off into the distance, leaving them all behind. Poe was worried about her. From what little he'd overheard there, maybe Dara was swaying towards the dark side of the force. Poe couldn't let that happen.


	13. Chapter 13

In the small hut tucked inside a rocky cave, Luke Skywalker made his home. It didn't look like much, but Poe supposed it was enough to lead a simple life. He had flown their ship as close to the cave as he could get it. Some of them would have to sleep aboard the ship, as there was no room in the small hut for them all. Poe was grateful for that though. He'd rather be comfortable and warm than kicking it in a draughty hut with the jedi. Poe was thinking about how far the jedi had fallen. He knew that they had had their council on Coruscant in years past. To think things had come to this. The ship was more comfortable, but Luke wasn't against them all spending time together. Poe and Finn wouldn't interfere with the training of the two younger jedi, but they could still all be friends and eat together. Poe was sending back reports to the General, letting her know that they had made contact and that things were going smoothly. He could tell how worried she was about her daughter. Luke and Dara were the only family she had. Poe was worried about her too, but he couldn't let the General know this. In her training she seemed determined, but there was something dark driving her. There was a hollow look to her eyes. Maybe Luke had been right. Maybe Dara was seeking revenge. He couldn't blame her. But such darkness for someone with such power… She could be a danger to everything. To the balance of the Force, to the fate of the Galaxy, the Resistance…

Poe had just finished sending a report to the General, when someone came aboard the ship to see him. He thought it would be Finn, but it turned out that Rey had come with a bowl of food and some sort of warm drink that smelled delicious. She put down the food and drink and sat next to him, her feet crossed and a grin on her face.

"I thought you could do with some company." Her smile was infectious. She had a youthful glow to her skin. She was a beautiful woman, and very strong willed. He admired her.

"Hey thanks. You done for the day?" Rey sighed deeply and wrinkled her nose.

"More force training. I prefer physical training. Like actual learning to fight. I can understand and do all that at least. Dara is a natural. At both. She's a force to be reckoned with. But then, I guess she is a Tempest." There was that word again. Tempest. What did that mean.

"I'm sure you're a natural, and you're doing great. You'll make a fine jedi." Rey gave a laugh and rested her head on her hands. "You mentioned a Tempest. What exactly is that?" Rey scrunched up her brow in thought.

"It doesn't make much sense to me. But a Tempest comes around every once in a while. They're a jedi who has a particularly strong connection to the force. The force…. Manifests in them and needs to be contained rather than accessed. At least that's what Dara said. I don't really know much about all that stuff." That sounded severe. Poe knew that the Force was a powerful thing, and to be so powerful in the Force was something that was terrifying. He needed to make sure Dara didn't fall to darkness. How had such a heavy amount of responsibility fall into his lap. He'd think about that later. It was too heavy a topic when he had such lovely company.

"I heard about how you stole the Millennium Flacon. I have to admit, I'm really impressed. You stole a legendary ship and pulled off legendary manoeuvres. I'm a little bit in love!" Rey laughed good naturedly.

"Says the pilot who lead the assault on Star Killer Base. You helped save the galaxy with your flying skills." Poe loved to be recognised as the brilliant pilot he was. And by such a skilled woman. He wasn't lying, he was a little enamoured. They sat in a companionable silence for a while, both of them feeling happy.

"I'm glad Finn is okay…" she said quietly. She was picking at a seam in her clothes. "He's a nice guy. Very caring. And friendly." Poe leaned back and put his feet up.

"He's very fond of you, you know. Hardly shuts up about you." Poe smirked over at her. She was appropriately embarrassed but she took it well. He wondered if she felt the same way about Finn. She looked up at Poe shyly.

"I don't really know what to do about him. I know he… likes me. But I've never… had that before. And I don't know what to think!" Poe honestly didn't understand how he had become everyone's agony aunt. He wasn't an expert at love. Poe had always had a couple of people on the go. Because of his job he never really got to see anyone with any regularity. But he could give this whole advice thing a go.

"You don't need to think about it. If it's going to happen it'll happen naturally. You'll have feelings and you'll feel good, and that's how you know it's right." He shrugged. He decided he wasn't good at giving advice.

"What if… I like more than one person? What if I have those feelings for someone else too?" Poe put his feet down on the floor again and leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs.

"Well that's when things get complicated."

"I know you like Dara." Rey blurted. It sounded almost defensive.

"She and I are a complicated thing. She keeps kissing me and then telling me we can't be together. I think I should just stay away from her. Not be with her like that. She's working through some stuff. She needs care and space." Rey was looking at him with the piercing gaze he had seen in her eyes before.

"You care about her."

"And you care about Finn." She conceded the point with a nod. "I think we can say that we all care about each other, and we'll leave it there." A soft smile touched Rey's lips.

"Well we certainly all like you, Poe." He liked them all back.

"Stop. You'll make me blush."


	14. Chapter 14

They had been on this beautiful planet for around two weeks now. In that time Poe and Dara had managed to have a total of four minutes alone together. Poe couldn't help how he was feeling. He wanted more time alone with her. He didn't want anything but to just talk to her. See what she was thinking, how she was feeling. He wanted to see how she would look at him when they were alone together. Because he was certain that he was looking at her with doe eyes at this point. He had gotten to know her in the time it took for them to get to this distant point in space, but it wasn't enough. He missed her. He wanted to know more. He wanted to take care of her. To fuss over her. She was his Princess. He hated himself for having the thought. It was terribly sentimental. Completely unlike Poe, actually. But whenever she did something impressive, or noteworthy, he felt like he was glowing with pride. That was HIS Princess. He was absolutely disgusted with himself.

Finn and Rey seemed to be getting close. But they were both getting close to Poe too. He was like a kid in a candy store with diabetes. He wanted them all, truly. But he shouldn't have any of them. He liked them he really did. But they were all stuck on a planet together. It could make things really awkward. He didn't want to alienate either of them by taking up with the other. He thought that Finn and Rey had a better chance together than Poe and anybody. So he took a step back and let their relationship develop without interference from him. Dara had come to see him a couple of times in the ship, but Rey or Finn was usually with her. He'd occasionally get to see her smile and let her hair down. He thought that maybe she wanted to get closer to him. But there was always someone else in the way.

Poe lay on his bed, the largest on the ship, and waited for Finn and whoever to come back for the night. He was just dozing off when he heard footsteps. Finn. He could tell by his gait. A Stormtrooper's walk. He came into Poe's room and sat on the edge of his bed. Poe could tell he was a little bit antsy.

"Uh… The other two aren't coming tonight. Luke wanted them for… stuff." Poe sat up a little, concerned.

"Everything okay, buddy?" Finn wouldn't look at him. Had he done something wrong.

"Yeah. Rey wanted me to talk to you. She and I, we're sort of together, I guess." Poe smiled bitter sweetly. He thought that might be the case. He gave Finn an affectionate thump on the arm.

"That's great! I told you she was sweet on you"

"Yeah, well, she's sweet on you too." Poe took his hand back quickly. Oh god. Was this girl going to come in between them? He appreciated that she was an incredible woman, but she obviously belonged with Finn.

"Look, you and Rey are together now. There was never a chance that I was going to stand in the way of that." He really didn't want to lose Finn.

"I can't believe I have to do this… Poe… We're both… sweet on you? I guess that's the right way of putting it? Oh god, what am I saying? This is awkward. Forget I said anything." Poe was taken aback and his heart did a very hard thump. Finn was getting up to go. Poe reached out and grabbed his hand, and tugged him back.

"What did you come here to talk about?" Poe was serious for once. This was a strange situation. If he played his cards right, could something happen with them?

"Rey wants us both. And I… Yeah. I agree, I guess? This is so awkward. I mean I do agree. But it's really weird saying it." Poe couldn't help the smile on his lips, and the rising feeling of lust.

"So you want me, Finn?" Finn buried his face in his hands, then finally looked at Poe.

"Yeah."

"And Rey is okay with this?"

"I'm sure she'd be here too if she wasn't busy." Poe sat back and thought. There was only concern he had right then. What about Dara? Dara had had her chance. Several times. But she kept pushing him away. She didn't own Poe, and he had never been the sort of person to be tied down.

"Okay." he said quietly. Finn looked surprised. "Did you really expect anything less? I've been flirting with you since I met you. It shouldn't be that big of a surprise."

"I won't be hurt if you two decide that this isn't what you want after all. And I'll still be up for being your friend. I'm willing to try if you are." Finn nodded. He could tell the man was a little bit nervous. In fairness, he didn't know much about the world, and this might be construed as an odd arrangement by some. Poe sat up again, moving a little bit closer to Finn. He had wanted to do this for a while. He put a hand on the back of Finn's head, and looked down at his lips. He moved in slowly and gave Finn plenty of opportunity to back out if he wanted. Poe brushed Finn's lips gently, making the kiss gradually deeper. Finn's hands moved to Poe's waist. The anticipation had made this kiss positively electric for him. It was all the better that Finn was responding well to this. Poe disengaged and opened his eyes. His eyes felt heavy and he just wanted to keep kissing Finn.

"Are you okay?" he asked. His existing relationship with the man was more important to him than his own desires. He didn't want Finn to be uncomfortable. Finn nodded and leaned in for more. Poe was determined to take this slow and to make sure that Finn was comfortable at every turn. He would have been perfectly happy with just kissing him, but Finn was tearing at his clothes, his fingers pulling at the fabric of his shirt. It seemed things would escalate pleasantly.

Finn lay curled up next to him, the blankets clutched up close to his face. Poe had noted it before, and he noted it now. Finn was a sweet sleeper. Very peaceful and serene. Poe lay awake, thinking over the last hour or so. He was happy. He felt satisfied. He hadn't thought things with Finn would come to this. He really cared about him, and he had liked him since the moment he met him. This was the culmination of months of hoping and crossed fingers and risky flirtation. And apparently Rey liked him too. Maybe he could have it all. But Dara, what about her? As if his arrant thought of her had summoned her, she appeared around the door of his room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the two men together in bed, in a state of undress. She looked shocked. Hurt. Poe sat up. He wasn't ashamed of what he had done. Dara had said they couldn't be together. He wasn't going to mourn their impossible love forever. But he still felt badly. Finn slept on. He wished he could have told her that this could have been her. But that sounded like such an asshole thing to say. He wouldn't apologise. When she had gotten her abject horror under control, she turned on her heel and left. Finn stirred in his sleep. Poe lay back down, and put an arm around Finn. Finn fell back into an easy sleep, and Poe continued to wonder what he was going to do about Dara and his COMPLETELY unresolved feelings for her.


	15. Chapter 15

Poe disentangled himself from his bed in the ship that had both Rey and Finn sleeping peacefully. They cuddled up closer together when Poe left. Those two were probably in love, and Poe wasn't a part of that. He was okay with that. He enjoyed the aspect of the relationship he was involved in and he still got to be really great friends with these two incredible people. His emotional capacity was taken up with worry for Dara anyways. She wouldn't talk to him. Or anyone. Only Luke in the capacity of training her. He was worried about where she was going with her life. He dressed himself in his warmest clothes. It was cold in the morning on this planet. He headed out of the ship and left for a walk. Walking in the cold morning air helped him to think. He needed to make things right with Dara. He needed to get over her too. He needed to stop feeling that tight knot in his stomach every time he thought about her. She had some supernatural grip on him. This wasn't normal. Poe didn't get so invested and hung up on people. He had the sort of relationship he had with Finn and Rey where it was fun and not at all serious. Dara was a very serious pursuit. And it just wasn't like him at all. When he made his way to the cliffs he saw someone had beaten him to it. Her long white hair blew in the bracing wind. Her clothes were black as always, tight to her body with the gale.

He made the decision to not run away. He came to stand level with her, staring out at the sea. The sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs below filled his ears. He looked over at her. Tears had stained her face and were continuing to run down her face. She made to leave again.

"Please stay." he shouted into the roaring wind. She stopped and turned back around. She was heartbreaking to look at. So beautiful and unobtainable. So hurt. They stared into each other's eyes for a time. Poe felt tears gather in his own eyes. Whether it was from the wind or any emotion, he could never be sure. Suddenly that bracing wind stopped with a wave of Dara's hand. Her hair fell around her shoulders in a wild mess. Her power unnerved him. It scared him. Nobody should have that much power.

"I scare you. I can feel it. This is what I am!" He could see that the waves below were still crashing. The wind was still flattening the grass. But it didn't touch them. "You're with Finn." she said stiffly. He knew that that had been upsetting her.

"You told me under no uncertain circumstances that we could never be together. I have a right to seek companionship elsewhere." She looked angry, and he could feel the bubble they were in become more constricting.

"But I have feelings for you." she said through gritted teeth. Poe closed his eyes and massaged his forehead. Things were such a mess.

"Dara... One minute you like me, then you pull out a blaster. Then you like me again, then we can't be together. You really going to do this to me again? Just because you see me with someone else. It doesn't work that way. I'm not a plaything..." Dara looked stung. She actually took a step back and the wind howled through for a second.

"You're right." She sat on the ground and looked utterly defeated. The wind howled around them fully again, and a chill ran down Poe's spine. He sat across from her and took her hands in his. She let him take her hands. He kissed the back of both of them, frustrated and wishing that things weren't so damn complicated.

"Dara… Please try to understand. I didn't do any of this to hurt you. I know it probably did anyways, but I don't want that at all." She didn't cry or pull away from him.

"I've messed this up so much. I wasn't lying, it was all real. When I met you it was all real, but I was scared. I knew who you were. But you got to me. I thought it wouldn't matter, I thought I could just ignore it. I knew I'd have to go back to this. To being the Tempest. But I can't do it, Poe! I'm too invested!" It all came tumbling out of her, and he squeezed her hands in comfort. Things could have been so much easier between them. He thought he might have even come to love her. He put his arms around her and held her close. She nestled into him, and he buried his face in her hair. They sat together for a time in the wind. He couldn't think what to do. He was conflicted. Emotionally, he was very much invested in Dara. But he loved his involvement with Finn and Rey. They were sweet to be around. They were all friends. The other two had a great emotional attachment, and Poe was their cool friend who hung out with them sometimes. At least that's how he liked to think about it. But Dara kept pulling on his heartstrings.

"What are we going to do Dara?" She cuddled in closer to him, gripping him tightly to her.

"Come away with me." she pleaded. Poe took some space to look at her. She was so beautiful. She knew it too. Knew that her beauty would work to charm him every time.

"What do you mean? You need to be here." She shook her head.

"No. I don't. I'm a full jedi. I'm more powerful than my master, and there is work that needs to be done. Nobody knows who I am. I can get so much information on Kylo Ren. I need to know where he is. I have to stop him." Poe was worried. Luke had been right. Dara was obsessing over Ren. She wanted revenge. The path to the dark side.

"You're focusing on revenge, Dara. That isn't good for you. Revenge consumes the best of people. You need to let it go."

"I can't!" she snapped. Tears started to flow again. What had he done? "Kylo Ren…. Ben… He's my brother." Poe's mind reeled. He stood up and walked away. He felt a tightening in his stomach and felt that he would retch. Kylo Ren. Ben Solo. Dara's sister. The General's son. Had tortured him. Kylo Ren was possibly now Poe's biggest fear. And Dara was of the same blood as him. If he had eaten anything that morning, he probably would have retched. But then he very rationally thought about the absolute torture Dara must be going through. Her brother had killed her father. She must be sickened by the thought at every turn. He came back to her and held her close again.

"Dara I'm sorry. For everything." She took a shaky breath.

"Will you come with me? To Coruscant. You can tell my mother. It'll be fine. She can't control me. But you're her best pilot." He could tell she was trying to make like of this dark situation they found themselves in. But this was grave stuff indeed.

"I'm here for you Dara. You're my mission. You're my friend. And you need me right now. So I'll go. I'll tell the others when they wake." There was silence for a moment.

"You slept with them both, didn't you?"

"Dara… You don't need to know." But that answer pretty much confirmed it for her.


	16. Chapter 16

Rey and Finn were sad to be parted from Dara. But even more so from Poe. They hugged him tightly and wished him luck on his mission with Dara and told him that they hoped that they would see each other again. Finn was going to remain behind with Rey and make sure she was okay. He felt that was his place. Dara said goodbye to her uncle, who appeared to be sad to see her go. He gave her a stern warning yet again about the path of vengeance and how it led to the dark side. Dara listened obediently, but Poe worried that she wasn't really taking it all into account. She was a smart woman, surely she would know that it wouldn't be wise to be reckless with the power that she had. She was a force to be reckoned with. Had a young Ben Solo seen his sister with such power and turned to the Dark side in the hopes to match her? He didn't know if that was the case or not, but he was still reeling from the fact that Kylo Ren was her brother. He had no idea how much that must hurt. Then he remembered who her grandfather was. General Organa was the daughter of Darth Vader. Dara was descended from the scourge of the galaxy, from such terrible darkness. Would she be swayed towards it as her brother had been? He told himself yet again that he couldn't let that happen.

The final farewells were sad. Poe kept his smile up for them all, telling them it would be no time at all before they all saw each other again. But Poe had a feeling in the pit of his stomach. A storm was coming. They had really poked the Hornet's nest when they had destroyed Star Killer Base. The First Order would strike back against them, and it was only a matter of time. Poe looked at his friends as the ramp of their ship closed upwards, trying to see them for as long as possible. Who knew if they would all make it through this war? Would they all live to see the end? Would they live to spend time together again. He realised the time he had spent on this planet felt stolen. Like a beautiful moment in time that he was never meant to have had. He felt a finality as the door of the ship closed, sealing him into the artificial light of the ship that he would be stuck in for the next week or so. He felt a little uneasy being in a ship for the first time in his life. He turned on his heel and made for the cockpit so they could leave. Dara followed him. She looked quite sad. He supposed she had a lot to be sad about. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder for a moment, then sat to pull the ship up gently. He was greeted with that beautiful view of the gorgeous land yet again, but he felt quite forlorn looking at it this time around. He entered the black void amongst the stars and set his destination for Coruscant, where Dara was going to seek corruption and information. He supposed agents of the First Order had to be sought out and eliminated.

They spent their first day on the ship apart, Poe at the console, Dara in the passenger bay training with the lightsabre. He could hear the furious hum of the weapon. It was a little bit unnerving, even still. The only person he had encountered, before he met this cluster of jedi, who used a lightsabre was Kylo Ren. BB-8 was running diagnostics on the ship's engine. Poe was completely alone. He didn't know if he liked that or not. Just the stars rushing past him again. It would have been better if he had someone to share this with. He put his feet up and kept an eye on things. He missed his x-wing. He missed being the dangerous and dashing pilot of the resistance and risked life and limb every time he took to the sky. He missed being himself. His slightly bizarre routine. He was fine with taking orders to go on a mission like this. Of course he was fine with spending time with Dara, when they weren't making an absolute tragedy of their friendship. He put a hand over his eyes, and thought. He felt quite worn out and sad. He thought perhaps he was emotionally exhausted. For the first time in years, he felt the urge to just sit there and cry. The hum of the lightsabre from the passenger bay stopped momentarily. Things were dark and they were sure to get darker. He was in the middle of a war, and he was stuck on a ship with a woman with whom he had the most dramatic relationship in the galaxy with. He was tired. He got up and passed through the passenger hold without even looking at the sickening moves that Dara was able to perform. He trudged to his bed where he had spent a few blissful nights with Finn and Rey. He didn't even bother undressing. He just fell onto the bed and lay there looking at the ceiling. Poe was a happy person, but he just couldn't pretend right then that the world was beautiful and fine. He heard Dara coming into his room. He didn't know if he could talk to her right now.

"You're sad." she stated. Poe closed his eyes for a second. Another urge to cry nearly overwhelmed him.

"So are you." he said, gently. She came and sat on the edge of his bed. She stared at her hands for a second. He recalled that she had told him that she had feelings for him. He didn't remember handling that declaration too well. He felt badly for that. She had put herself in a position of vulnerability before him, and he had just ignored it and talked about himself. Admittedly he had been a little bit angry with her at the time, and she could have had better timing in telling him. He took her hand now and tugged her gently down so that she was lying next to him. He put and arm around her and held her to him.

"I have feelings for you too… I think." he said, thickly. When he was a younger man he had been in love. But he had broken Poe's heart, and he never put much faith in love and relationships then. He kept things informal after that. But he knew that's what this was. He was falling in love with her. He was afraid. The conditions and the events that had led to this moment were worrying. They were tumultuous together at every turn. Something always made the other storm off in a huff and not want to talk. He didn't see how this could work. She nestled her head into his chest, and cuddled into him. They lay there together, and Poe felt that they were surely doomed.


	17. Chapter 17

Spending about a week, maybe more, on a ship with Dara was an odd experience. It was only the two of them and BB-8. What were they meant to do? Being alone made Poe feel a little bit sad, and being with Dara also made him feel sad. He didn't know what he was meant to do. She was sad too. It became apparent that they both realised how dire a situation the galaxy was in and that they may not all survive the ordeal. Poe hated being stuck in this funk. He decided that doing something with his time, getting active, would help him to feel better. He pushed himself off of his bed with great effort. He picked a hand sized ball from his things. He bounced it a couple of times off the wall, testing it. This would do. He made his way out into the passenger hold where Dara sat, quietly reading a book. Poe rolled up his sleeves and stretched. He bounced the ball then hit with his hand at the wall. He ran back and forth, keeping the ball going, working up a sweat. This was exactly what he needed. He felt warm, and a little out of breath, and his legs ached a little, and it made him feel good. He hit the ball back at an odd angle and it shot past him just out of his reach. He turned to see where it went and saw it stop dead in the air.

Dara held out her arm gracefully from the seat she was curled up in. She was still reading. She had stopped the ball with the force. She made a gentle sweeping motion with her outstretched hand and the ball came towards Poe very slowly. He plucked the ball from the air, and Dara lowered her arm. Poe stared at her for a while, catching his breath. He pulled his shirt over his head to let himself cool down a little. He saw the slight quirk in her brows at that. She had been leaving her hair down on the ship all day every day. She must have known he liked it that way. He imagined it was more comfortable to wear it down anyways.

"Poe, we've talked about the clothing situation. I believe it was the second time we met." She didn't even look up at him. He smirked.

"You can't tell me you're cold Princess."

"What if I am?" She said it with a smile. He walked over to one of the storage units and picked out a blanket. He approached her slowly and wrapped the blanket around her. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek then headed for the showers. He felt a little better. And feeling clean and warm would make him feel even better. He left the room and made for the showers. Slipping out of the rest of his clothes he stepped into the shower and enveloped himself in hot water. He let out a groan of happiness. He did love a good hot shower. Poe had been right. Getting a shower had made him feel better.

He felt so good that he began to sing. Something he only ever did in the shower. He was a loud singer, and not a particularly good one. But dammit, he was enthusiastic. A particularly loudly belted note echoed around the ship. He heard running footsteps.

"Are you okay? I heard you- oh my god you're naked. I'm so sorry." Dara. But she wasn't moving to leave. Poe turned around.

"Hey. Yeah I'm okay. I'm just a real bad singer." He grinned at her. He caught her eyes darting down between his legs, and a blush blooming furiously on her face. "Water's warm. You should get it while its good." She shut her eyes tight.

"I should go."

"Nah you can stay if you like. I'm not shy. I'm just a guy singing real bad in a shower. And we're just hanging out." She peeked at him, then shut her eyes again.

"Poe…"

"Dara. You can leave if you're uncomfortable. Of course you can." She slowly opened her eyes again.

"I just didn't want you to be uncomfortable." She gave him a smile.

"Nudity isn't a big deal to me. Obviously, I respect other people's privacy. But I don't mind if people see me in the nude. I'm just a guy. I guess some would say a good looking guy." She gave him a smile.

"Who would ever say that?" she teased. He gave her an offended look, then turned around and stepped into the stream of hot water, letting it pour down over his head. He ran his hands through his hair, and felt quite relaxed. She was still there, and he could tell she was working up the nerve to say something. He felt a little bit of dread at what could come out of her mouth.

"Poe… Do you ever think… maybe… anything could ever happen between us?" Poe stood still for a couple of seconds. How was he meant to answer that? What could he say?

"Do you think you have the capacity to have anything happen with me? Do you think that you could bring yourself to that?" Poe kept his back turned on her as he asked. His great mood evaporated. He hated drama.

"Poe… Are you trying to say that I think I'm above you? That I need to lower myself to your level? I don't think like that!" Poe turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. He dried himself and didn't look at her.

"I didn't say that. I'm just asking yourself if you're open to that. If it is something that you would allow to happen. Because at every turn you've shot it down." That seemed to stop her building tirade in its tracks.

"You've handled things between us poorly from the start. You've a lot going on in your life. I'm just wondering if emotionally you're in the right place for us to be having this conversation." He wrapped the towel around his hips and turned to face her. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. But it might just be too much for you to cope with right now." Despite his best interests he could see he'd hurt her. He felt very sorry for that indeed. With glistening eyes she turned and left. Poe felt a little sad now. He wished they could have just gone back to that bar and be those two strangers again. He wish that things could have gone from there without all these complications. Poe was starting to think maybe he and Dara should be together, but he had no idea how to make it work.


	18. Chapter 18

General Organa wasn't pleased with Dara going back to Coruscant, but she asked that Poe stay with her. The General wasn't going to order him to bring her daughter back to the Resistance base against her wishes. So Poe had to basically become her partner in whatever she was going to do. He had to watch a Jedi's back. He really hoped the jedi was going to have his back. Coruscant was a big planet that was complicated. And Dara was going to get involved in social intricacies. Poe didn't know how he was supposed to assimilate himself into that, or what role he was to play in all this. But he would do his utmost to help her. Setting down on Coruscant again, Poe wondered about that really decent hotel he had stayed at last time. He wondered if they had a room for him. Dara came to lean next to him as he landed gently. She seemed to have bit more confidence about her.

"We need a quick rundown before we go out there. On Coruscant, I'm a disgustingly wealthy diplomat. I'm popular. I attend society events. Whatever. You. You're going to be an interesting one to explain. I'm going to suggest to you, that you pretend to be my consort. You can live with me in my apartment, but you will have to go out and be seen with me in that capacity. Are you a good liar?"

"Of course I am!" he answered, automatically. Then he thought about what she had to say. She wanted him to pretend to be her fake boyfriend. "Oh please tell me I'm your trophy boyfriend! PLEASE! Tell me that's why we're dating." That got a bit of a smile out of her.

"Poe, I saw you, and thought you were the most handsome and impressive man I had ever met. So I introduced myself to you in a bar. We hung out for a while and fell madly in love. You fell in love with my money, and I fell in love with how I could show you off and make everyone jealous." Poe grinned.

"I like being a trophy wife." Poe felt a little bit smug. Dara wrapped her arms around him from behind, and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love my trophy wife. I'll have to get you some better clothes."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?!" She made to move away.

"A princess can't date a greaser. I have to class you up."

Poe stood up and followed her.

"So… What… Are you actually a Princess?!" BB-8 twittered at him to stop talking, that he was making a fool of himself.

"Princess Leia is my mother… That sort of thing runs in the family." They exited the ship together, bags in hand.

"So when I called you Princess and you said you weren't…"

"I just didn't think it was a good nickname. Kiss me." Poe didn't ask why. He stopped and turned to face her, as the wind rippled through his hair. He put a hand on the back of her neck and looked into her eyes. He leaned up to kiss her, very tenderly and lovingly. He felt as though she melted in his arms. He meant every second of that tender kiss. "Just… so… Our story seems credible." she said, breathlessly.

"What story?" he said, half sarcastically. He pulled her close and gave her a hug. "Let's go home, Princess." Her face looked like the image of adoration. They were meant to be together. They had to be. He couldn't imagine why they shouldn't be. He told himself he'd try his best to keep Dara happy. He'd try his best to make this work with her. If that was what she wanted. He didn't want to fight with her anymore. She was worth every effort he had in him and then some.

Poe twisted in front of a gilt, floor-length mirror, which he knew was antique.

"I hate it." he said, with a bit of a pout. Dara had stuffed him into a shirt, tight, creased pants, and a goddam blazer. He looked ridiculous. She'd even had the audacity to style his hair. "My ass looks humungous." Dara rolled her eyes, as she stalked around her bedroom in red glitzy heels, poking a heavily jewelled earring through her ear. Her dress was floor length cream chiffon, that floated around her like wisps.

"You've a wonderful behind. Come on. We're going to be late." Poe sulked a little in front of the mirror.

"You get to look like an angel, and I look like a booty dancer from Tattooine. Jabba would have had me on his pleasure barge, let me tell you." Dara was standing behind him now, supressing a laugh. She towered over him, but the sight of them together silenced him. Her hair was in an elegant updo. She was definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And he looked right by her side.

"I prefer you looking like a pilot. Leather jacket and dirty hands. It's sexier." He turned around and held her by the waist looking up at her. "What are you doing.

"Getting into character." He leaned up again and kissed her. He was very glad he hadn't overstepped, and that she kissed him back. He didn't want to get too carried away, so he kept it gentle.

"We have a Gala ball to attend. Are you excited for your first Coruscant high class society event?"

"Ecstatic." he said sarcastically.


	19. Chapter 19

Dara and Poe drew a lot of stares at the very high and open function room they went to. Poe had never seen such wealth in design and in clothing and jewellery in his lifetime. He had thought the beautiful neckpiece that Dara was wearing had been bedazzling. But now that he was here, he could see she was being modest by comparison. Poe kept a straight face, but inside he was reeling. He had to keep a straight face to keep up appearances. Dara seemed to be very popular indeed. And she was holding her head high like a queen, and gliding along with Poe on her arm, with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Where are you supposed to be diplomating for again?" Poe whispered, with a wide dazzling smile on his face. He was supposed to be very charmed and very lucky to be on Dara's arm. In truth he was. But he needed to make sure everyone knew.

"The newly reformed Principality of Aldaraan. The stranded citizens reformed. I sort of… Am the diplomat for Alderaan. And I am its Princess. I dunno. It's complicated." she said in an undertone to him, maintaining her regal poise. Poe hadn't even realised how much power and position Dara had. How much wealth she had. He was on the arm of an actual princess who had feelings for him. Who had kissed him. He took a second to absorb that bit of information. What even was his life?

"So… Why are we here?"

"To keep up appearances. And spy. I'll do the spying. I just want you to watch my back, and make me look good." She gave him a beautiful smile, but there was that mischievous look in her eyes that he loved.

She closed her eyes for a second. Poe felt a little bit strange. Light headed and his conscious thought felt a level of strain. But the sensation passed very quickly.

"They certainly like you. You make me look more sympathetic. And they think you're handsome and likeable. They haven't even talked to you! Looks mean a lot, I guess."

"How do you even know that?"

"May the force be with me, yadda yadda." That scared Poe. Kylo Ren had bashed his way into Poe's mind, but Dara could just slip into everyone's minds without them really noticing. Nobody should have that much power. He could see a pair of strange looking creatures making their way over to them. He could tell they were from the Hutt of Tattooine. What were they doing here. They addressed Dara with an incline of the head in their strange language, which Dara replied to them in.

"They greet us, and ask who my lovely companion is." Dara said, with a smile.

"Who am I Dara?" Poe said with an equally polite smile as he inclined his head to the two representatives of the Hutt. Dara made a brief explanation to the two people about Poe in their language. They looked surprised, but falsely delighted. They took both of Poe's hands and shook them, before departing.

"They said they were delighted to meet the future Prince of Alderaan. I don't think they understood what I meant very well. And I don't think anybody thinks you're a pilot or not…. Uh…. Upper class. I may have dressed you too well."

"Did you say we were getting married?" Poe couldn't help the little laugh that escaped him. Dara looked a little flustered for all of a second.

"No. I absolutely did not." Poe took her arm again after giving her hand a light squeeze.

Over the next couple of hours or so many visiting dignitaries came to speak with Dara, and they made small talk with Poe. He had his ass grabbed more than a few times. He just knew these tight pants were asking for trouble. He had a feeling Dara had done it on purpose.

"You look very lovely." Dara said, when they had a second to themselves. "You're a very convincing trophy wife." Poe took a pointed second to look at Dara's behind.

"You're not looking so bad yourself. You knew. You knew all these people were ass people." Dara shrugged.

"If you've got it flaunt it." Poe was preparing a witty comeback, when he saw Dara straighten her back. Her beautiful eyes were sharp on someone in the far distance. Poe knew things were serious. She grabbed his arm and pulled him around. She looked down into his eyes, and there was triumph there. "Bespin." That only served to make Poe confused. It must have been obvious on his face, because Dara rolled her eyes. "The first order are getting supplies from Bespin. The representative is over there, and he's a nervous guy. Cheatd on his wife, killed his daughter's pet cause it was annoying him, committed high treason and is supplying the First Order with illegal raw materials. And he's gay." Poe was definitely spooked that she knew that much.

"What do we do? Do we go to Bespin?" She took his arm and started walking.

"Of course not. That would be silly. No. You're going to seduce him, get him back to my apartment, and we'll interrogate him. He has to be sending the stuff somewhere." Poe stopped and dug his heels into the highly polished marble floor.

"No. You're shitting me. I'm not gonna. I don't even know… Can't I just be loyal to you in our lie?"

"Poe… As sweet as that is, we need to get the information out of him." Poe was despairing. He knew he had a job and all, but he wasn't a whore.

"I don't even know what he looks like."

"The blonde with the moustache. He certainly knows what you look like." Dara reached over and quickly undid the topmost buttons of his shirt.

"Dara no…"

"Dara yes, now go get him Tiger." She gave him a little push in the direction of the ambassador from Bespin and glided off to talk to a Gungan from the Naboo. The charming, evil, woman. Poe had no idea how he was going to do this, but he was going to have to flirt this guy's pants off. He shuddered.


	20. Chapter 20

Poe, despite his initial panic at the situation he had literally been pushed into, calmed himself and thought rationally about the situation. Agents did this sort of thing all the time. And Poe needed to be useful. He looked at the ambassador. He definitely wasn't Poe's type. His moustache was wispy and thin, scraggily almost. He had a weasel-like face, with small watery blue eyes. Beady. He was a short enough man, thin, but with a bit of a belly on him. Poe didn't like the look of him, and if Dara said he was helping the First Order, then he definitely was a crappy, crappy person. Poe took a breath and plunged forward. He was very aware of just how much of his chest was showing from the few buttons that Dara had opened. The ambassador's eyes went straight that flesh on display.

"Awfully dull affair, don't you think?" Poe said to the man. The ambassador's tiny little eyes lit up when he realised Poe was speaking to him.

"I suppose it might be. A lot of dull creatures hanging about. But I haven't seen you before…" To imply that Poe wasn't a dull creature. He found it very difficult to fight the urge to roll his eyes. But fight he did. The man's voice was thin and high. He sounded like a nervous man. Poe was amazed he had a wife in the first place, let alone that anyone else would sleep with him

"I'm here with Princess Dara. She's rich. But she's not exactly my type. I prefer someone a bit more…. Masculine." Poe looked down into the ambassador's eyes, trying to get across every implication that he very sincerely didn't mean. The man was staring right back at him, enthralled.

"I saw you as soon as I came in here. I had to speak to you." Poe said. Very disgustingly, he could tell the ambassador of Bespin was aroused. Again, it took every ounce of strength in him not to retch. Poe leaned in a little bit closer.

"We should… find somewhere more private." The ambassador looked around nervously. He wasn't sure this was truly happening it seemed. But he also didn't want to draw attention to himself. "I can take you back to my place… And we could get to know each other a little." Poe muttered, in a guttural undertone. He was pulling all his best moves, and they were working far too well. The small man in the cream coloured suit with flyaway blonde hair nodded. His voice seemed to have failed him.

"Follow me." Poe muttered. Looking around, he locked eyes with Dara for but a second, but he caught an imperceptible nod from her. She was going to tail them. Poe would hopefully be spared of any unfortunate contact with this man.

Poe strode confidently from the gala ball, saying goodbye to a few people who had spoken to him earlier. The small man, who's name Poe had completely neglected to ask followed eagerly behind. The walk back to Dara's apartment was relatively short. They hardly said a word to each other, but Poe had to maintain the meaningful, lusty looks. It sickened him a little. Making himself do this. He felt so dishonest. He felt used. But the galaxy needed him to get this man back to Dara's apartment. Poe brought the man through the door and pulled him by the hand up the stairway to Dara's apartment. Dara had done the very same to him not so long ago. He felt a stab of guilt. Once they were in Dara's room the small seemingly reserved man pinned Poe to the door and started to pull open his shirt. He had to go along with it for now. Poe took fistfuls of the man's shirt and ripped it open, the buttons flying off. It had been a while since he'd done that, he was glad he still could. The other man was undoing Poe's belt buckle and was making to get down on his knees. Poe had to think fast.

He growled, picked up the man, carried him through the lounge into the bedroom, and threw him onto the bed. The man kicked off his shoes and lay there looking like all of his Christmases had come early. Poe pulled the man's trousers off quickly. He was revolted. This was very wrong. Thankfully, he heard the door open, and a pair of heels clacking along the marble floor of their lounge. He turned. Dara stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame. She looked at Poe, his hair ruffled, his shirt mostly open, his trousers undone. Then she looked to the ambassador who lay on her bed shirt ripped open, pants off, with a raging erection.

"Well you certainly got far without me." Dara said, a smirk on her painted red lips. Poe thanked every star in the sky that she had gotten here at last.

"Hey... I'm not into that!" The ambassador spluttered, sitting up on his arms.

"It's a trap." Poe said, turning around to Dara. He didn't bother to do up his clothing again. The ambassador scrambled off the bed and tried to run. Dara put a hand on his head as he went by. The man fell to the floor. He tried to get up again, but Dara simply put a heeled foot on the man's chest and pushed him back onto the floor.

"You're trading with the First Order. I want to know why, and where you're sending the shipments." Dara said, looking at her nails.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the ambassador said.

"Harzo… You will tell the truth."

"I will tell the truth." the man said. Poe picked him up under the arms and sat him up on the bed again. "A representative from the First Order came to Cloud City where I am Consul. The economy had been in a decline. They offered to buy raw materials mined from the planet at exceptional prices. It was an offer I couldn't refuse. The shipments are sent to Sullust. That's all I know I swear!" Poe glanced over at Dara. She nodded. Poe picked up the man's trousers and shoes under one arm, and grabbed Harzo by the arm and guided him towards the door.

"Sorry about that…" Poe said, as he pushed the man out the door and left him his shoes and trousers. Poe closed the door quickly and closed his eyes.

"You did very well, Poe. And I know it wasn't easy." He felt Dara's hand on his shoulder. "You're an excellent spy." He turned around and hugged her close to him.

"You were very beautiful tonight."


	21. Chapter 21

**Note: Slight bonus chapter in the POV of Dara**

* * *

Dara lay in the warmest, most comfortable bed in the galaxy, with simulated sun light brightening the room. She felt well rested. She wriggled down into the blankets, letting them brush her face. She turned over, feeling a little sleepy, but she saw Poe lying next to her. It took her by surprise for a second, but she watched Poe breathing steadily. His wavy hair was sticking up at all angles, and his face was relaxed and handsome. He was like a sculpture sleeping in her warm bed. His skin looked as smooth as polished stone. She felt those butterflies absolutely battering her stomach. They had been waging war on her insides since the first time she'd seen him. Poe liked to hug the blanket to his face when he slept, and Dara thought it was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. He mumbled a little in his sleep. Dara thought about the first time she had seen Poe. She realised, rather sentimentally that seeing Poe had changed her life entirely. Poe had changed her. Knowing him. And she wouldn't change that for the world.

Dara remembered that after a particularly stressful meeting with representatives from the Naboo, she had gone to the most beautiful park on Coruscant that nobody knew about. She had been fuming on the claims from the Naboo that their current Queen wanted to damn the memory of her grandmother Padme Amidala. It had been a personal matter that they had taken up in her private offices, as she was a living descendant of Padme. It seemed the rest of the Naboo did not agree with this decision, but since it had come to light that she had had the children of Darth Vader, her career had been overshadowed. It had been a very personal insult to Dara. Even thinking about it now made her feel sick with anger. She took a breath in the bed she shared with Poe. She had been sitting under a cherry blossom tree trying very hard to forget her hurt feelings. She spotted someone walking by the fish pond, his hands stuffed into a leather jacket. A handsome man, with thick dark hair, and the kind of face with great character. Her eye just caught on him immediately. He sat by a bench and watched the cool water for a time, under a different cherry blossom tree. The setting was surreal. He looked like a good spirit who had appeared just to brighten her day. She watched him for the entirety of the time he was there. She drank in every detail she could see of him. His dark, warm eyes, his pretty lips, the delightful curve of his nose, his relaxed posture, and his watchful, easy gaze.

It came time for Dara to leave. She was sad that she would never see this man again. Coruscant was a big planet. But she did see him again. She sat in a large public library getting frustrated over the dotty records of Alderan. She heard slow footsteps walk right past her. There he was again. He strode right past her, gazing around him, a slight sense of wonder on his face as he looked at the beautiful building. She had felt that fluttering in her stomach and forgot about the big gap in history around the time when her mother Leia was born. The man sat in a seat in the library, picking through a random book, but watching the people. Dara made for one of the nearby shelves opposite him, hoping he'd look at her. Hoping he'd be just as enthralled by him as she was. Poe gave a snore as he rolled over in his sleep, which made Dara start. Poe hadn't seen her in the library. She looked at Poe's back, wishing she could cuddle into it.

When Dara had seen Poe in her favourite restaurant, sticking out like a sore thumb, still looking, she started to get suspicious. Maybe he was looking for her. Well he wasn't doing a very good job. Or maybe he was following her. She waited for him to finish up his food and leave the restaurant before she decided to follow him. She needed to know she was safe from the handsome man. She stayed behind him the whole way back to his hotel, making sure to keep people between them. Ever since she had run away from her uncle Luke, she had been determined to never use the Force again. So she would have to find out who this man was on her own. He was in a decent enough hotel. Not the sort of place an ambassador or Princess would be caught dead in. She hung back as he collected his key for his room.

"Poe Dameron, room 625." he said. His voice was pleasant and warm. She couldn't help the butterflies fluttering again. Why was Poe Dameron suddenly appearing in her life in all the places she liked to frequent. She told herself she was being paranoid. It was just a strange coincidence, and it would never happen again. But then she had seen him at her favourite bar. Then she had spoken to him. Then she could never have gone back.

She looked across at him in the early morning light, seeping in through the windows. His shoulders heaved with every breath. She counted every freckle on his back. She wished so very much she could tell him everything that was in her heart. How her heart sped up when he was near. How her thoughts raced when they were alone together.

"Poe…" she whispered, forlornly. She wished that they could be together. She hadn't ever felt these things. She knew that emotional attachment could ruin her. It could tip the scales in the wrong way. Her first priority would be him and not the good of the galaxy. How long before it got that way? How long before she did the wrong thing because of her feelings for him? Should she distance herself from him, yet again? She was very afraid of how she was feeling. There was a reason Jedi forsook being in romantic relationships. It clouded their judgement. But she couldn't do it again. Dara had pushed Poe away enough times already. One more time and she feared it would be the last. He would surely abandon her forever. He was surprised he had not left her be before now. Poe had the best soul she had seen. She had seen within him. He was determined to do right by everyone. She only hoped she could do right by him. Dara leaned up and gave Poe a light kiss on the cheek, which caused him to mutter and to turn over.

"I love you." she whispered so lightly, making sure that no matter what, he wouldn't hear her.


	22. Chapter 22

The same nightmare had been haunting Poe for the longest time. Kylo Ren, prying into his mind again, tearing him apart, only keeping him alive until he had gotten all valuable information from him that he could. Only this time, Dara was prowling behind her brother, dark eyes intent on him. Dressed all in black, a dark look on her face, Poe could tell that this Dara in his dream was a Sith. Poe sat up abruptly in a cold sweat. The sheets were tangled around his body, and Dara slept serenely beside him. Poe felt sick. This nightmare was starting to take its toll on him. He stumbled out of bed, tripping over his own feet several times, and he made his way into the bathroom. He clutched the sink as he turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face. He felt very ill. He stared up into his reflection. He examined his face closely. His brows were drawn down, but his eyes were wide. His mouth was a thin line of worry. The thought of Dara being on the dark side with Kylo Ren was overwhelming him. He didn't know nearly enough about the sway of the differing sides of the force to be able to say with any certainty that Dara was going to be okay. Maybe he was dwelling on it too much. But he had seen the Dark side of the Force. He had felt its bitter sting, and cold, furious stab.

He ran his fingers through his hair making it sit flat.

"You're overreacting. She's going to be okay. She's not her brother." he told himself, as he stared into his own eyes. His bare chest still had rivulets of the cold water making tracks on his skin. A shiver went down his spine. He gave himself a little grin in the mirror. He was being silly. Dreams were only dreams. He knew it was one thing to say things like that when he wasn't in the grips of terror from said dreams. It was another thing entirely to wake almost every night in a cold sweat. He distracted himself by looking himself over in the mirror. He supposed he was a good looking guy. He had never really stopped to think about it much. He just led with his personality mostly. What if looks really did matter? He remembered the night of the Gala Ball. How so many people seemed to like his appearance. Did Dara like his appearance? Poe turned this way and that, examining his reflection. What if she didn't like his hair? What if she thought he was too short? She was a very tall woman after all. What if his thighs were too big? He turned sideways and grabbed a handful of massive, muscular thigh. He looked silly. Disproportionate. Maybe he should skip leg day more often.

He went back into Dara's bedroom, where she still slept soundly. He stared at her for a time, wondering in absolute anguish if he was her type or not. BB-8 lay dormant in the corner of the room. He couldn't even complain at his droid for comfort. What if he was too good-looking? Some women didn't like pretty men, and Poe thought he had a pretty face. He scowled. He got down on the ground and did some push-ups to make himself feel better. He scowled at the lushly carpeted floor the whole time. He heard Dara stir in the bed, heard the sheets rustling, and heard her yawn delicately. He looked up to see her messy-haired and bleary eyed, with her head propped up on an arm.

"Don't stop on my account. It's a pleasant sight to wake up to." Poe tried to smile at her. "You had another nightmare." she said quietly. Poe stood up and turned his back on her. He was usually an open book. He was actually bad at shutting up about things, usually. But on this topic, he clammed up.

"It's fine. They're only dreams." he said, through gritted teeth. Dara threw the covers off herself, and padded over to Poe, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She didn't say anything, she simply held him. In that moment, he greatly appreciated that she wasn't prying.

"Yes General, I was there for the interrogation." Poe was reporting back to the General, letting her know the interesting piece of information Dara and he had gained the other night.

"Sullust… Very interesting. I'll get my best people to look into it. Dara doesn't intend on chasing this lead up herself, Poe, does she?" The General's image flickered before him. He knew that she was likewise seeing an image of him. He had to sit up straight and pay attention to his body language. He couldn't let the General see her Best Pilot slouching.

"I can confirm that she has no intentions of travelling to Sullust. Infact… She wishes to travel to the Principality of Alderan. Do I have your leave to travel there, ma'am?" He had to ask the General's permission, of course. She was his boss. His commanding officer. He watched as she visibly thought it over.

"I am curious as to why she wants to return there… Very well, Dameron, you have my leave. Your mission remains the same. We will begin formalising a plan to look into Sullust, but should it come to battle, I will require you to come back." Goosebumps prickled Poe's arms. His fingers dug into the cushioning of the seat in the passenger ship. The next stage of war may be set sooner than he had thought.

"Of course General."

"Very good. Organa out." With a slight click, the communication between Poe and the General was ended.

If Poe had his way, he would never have to fight again. If they lived in a peaceful galaxy, he would have been very happy. Poe loved the cause, not the fight. But the galaxy needed people like Poe who were willing to fight for the side of all that was good and right. The First Order wished to control everything. Poe had to fight for himself to be free. He had to fight for everyone in the galaxy to be free of such tyranny. The First Order couldn't get away with needlessly murdering so many people. It made Poe angry to just think about. Poe stood and made to leave. Dara and he would spend a couple more days on Coruscant, then fly to Alderan. Poe was interested to see the place, and see how people reacted to Dara. As Poe shouldered his leather jacket, the ship closing up behind him, he spotted Dara waiting for him.

"Lunch?" she asked with a small smile. Poe's stomach growled in answer. He had never had food like on Coruscant. It paid to be the fake boyfriend of a Princess.


	23. Chapter 23

Their last few days on Coruscant again felt like stolen moments to Poe. Lounging in the sun, eating delicious food, talking about silly things and enjoying each other's company. The galaxy was a war with itself. Poe was mildly amazed that such calm existed. Recognising that these moments were stolen, Poe felt a great foreboding. Surely this meant that something bad would happen. That this was the calm before the storm. As he flew away from Coruscant with Dara yet again, he wondered what life would throw at him next. He thought that Alderaan must be a lovely peaceful place. As the ship experienced slight turbulence, Poe wondered who was in charge there. Who would Dara have to answer to there? Since he had first met her, it seemed that Dara answered to nobody. Not even Luke. It would be interesting to see her being a lower rank than somebody. How would she react to that? The journey would only take a couple of hours. He would get his answers soon enough, he supposed.

On arrival at Alderaan, Poe received a communication from the ground.

"State your purpose." came the crackling voice.

"This is Poe Dameron, escorting Dara Varana." There was silence for a time then the voice came again.

"Proceed to landing bay T45" Silence. Poe frowned for a second. It was an odd communication, but he supposed Dara was an important ambassador. People were bound to know who she was.

Dara waited for Poe before she left the ship. The ship was surrounded by a guard. They were dressed finely and presented an intimidating front. When Dara stepped out, they saluted in unison. Poe was a little bit unnerved. Dara held her head up as she walked past the men and went on through the hangar. Poe scrambled to keep up. BB-8 rolled at his feet to follow. Poe looked nervously at the honour guard as they closed ranks behind him. Poe didn't like this. As Poe followed Dara further and further into what seemed to be a massive complex, he noticed his surroundings got richer and richer. What was going on? Where were they going? Dara threw open doors that led to a room that held only a throne. Upon the throne sat an elaborately dressed woman who stood and glared down intimidatingly. When Dara came to stand before her, staring up defiantly at her, the woman seemed to realise who had barged their way into the throne room. Her face became a mask of shock, which was a real achievement considering the heavy makeup the woman wore.

"Ara. You may step down now." Dara said in a voice completely not her own. It was aristocratic, booming, powerful, commanding. If it had been possible for the woman on the throne to become paler, Poe was sure she would have.

"Of course my lady." The woman stepped away from the throne. Dara ascended the red velvet steps up to the onyx-coloured seat.

"I will be dressed and I will address my people." Dara said to nobody in particular. Everyone in the room jumped to action. "This is Poe Dameron." she boomed over the cacophony, making them stop in their tracks. "He will be treated as my consort, and with the utmost respect. His every need to be seen to." The people in the room turned to look at the dishevelled pilot. Poe fidgeted slightly, and gave his most dazzling smile. He wished now more than ever that he had thought to at least tuck in his shirt.

Poe waited anxiously at the front of a large crowd of people of all classes. The rich and the poor were crammed into a room. As Poe gathered, they were representatives. There were broadcasting droids floating at the back of the throne room. Poe wondered what was going on. Poe had a feeling Dara really didn't answer to anyone in the galaxy. The doors behind the throne were thrown open and two rows of handmaidens dressed in white walked in, flanking the regal, dominating figure of Dara. Dara's face was painted white, portions of her lips were painted red. She wore blood red silk with gold beading and embroidery. Her white hair had been put up in a massive elaborate design. Surely it couldn't all be her own. An elaborate and massive headdress sat upon her head. Gold and rubies glinted from the curves of the exotic and elegant piece. Her dipped sleeves trailed on the floor as she slowly made her way to her throne. She surveyed the room before she sat with finality. Poe felt weak at the knees. She was the absolute ruler of a planet. That didn't seem right. That didn't line up with the sweet, turbulent woman he knew. She looked exceptionally intimidating. A perfect silence fell over the room.

"People of Alderaan." Dara spoke, her voice filling the room. "You are all my children. All my equals. All my people. I have a duty of care to you." Her words rang. Poe felt a chill down his spine. He felt that this was a momentous occasion. "The galaxy is at war. A group has decided that they must control all things, and they care not who they must kill to attain their goals. The First Order is a poison in this galaxy. And I refuse to have my planet poisoned. I declare a planet wide boycott of all things associated with the First Order. Any planet that assists the First Order will be boycotted. Any citizen found in league with the First Order will be deemed a traitor." Murmuring broke out throughout the room. Poe felt a shiver down his spine. "These measures may be a drop in the ocean, but I must lead the way I think is right." Dara stood and a hush fell over the room again. Poe watched her leave in a stunned silence. Dara was an actual monarch. And he was madly in love with her. And he thought perhaps she felt the same way. Poe wondered, not for the first time, what even was his life?


	24. Chapter 24

After Dara's address, a handmaiden clad in wisps of white fabric came and found him. Shew was shorter than Poe and gazed up at him with curious green eyes. She stood quite close to Poe, which Poe couldn't decide how he felt about.

"You are the princesses consort?" she said quietly and eagerly. Poe nodded, and looked around him. Why was she being so quiet? Was nobody outside of the palace staff meant to know? Were they all really that loyal? "Such a surprise to find the Princess has found love. She all but swore away from emotional entanglement." The small, well-built woman looked off distantly as though deep in thought. "I am sorry!" she said quickly, her attention snapping back to Poe. "The Princess has sent me to escort you to her. Do you have need of anything before we go, sir?" Poe thought it was actually quite funny to be called sir. Poe was just Poe. He was just a pilot. The best pilot, granted, but not a sir.

"Uh…. No. Thanks. I'm all good." The handmaiden bowed a head and took off, politely making her way through the slight throng that Poe had managed to get engulfed in. Poe followed slowly, still staring around him. The ceiling was all glass that revealed the beautiful blue sky, with aesthetically pleasing fluffy clouds floating past. The walls had stylised pictures of heroes, and Queens, or Princesses, or whatever they were. The figures were all dressed in strange costumes. He walked through a set of heavy oaken doors behind the throne, with the squat handmaiden waiting for him.

Down a short corridor, a large room opened up in front of him. Lush couches and chair, heavily carpeted floors, red velvet drapes, and a cluster of handmaidens around the scarlet figure of Dara. That same commanding voice filled the room.

"Leave." she said shortly. The handmaidens bowed their way out of the room. Once it was only Poe and Dara in the room, she turned and looked at him. The set of her face seemed more like herself, but he still thought she was the most intimidating sight he had seen. "Poe… I… I can explain…" She sounded nervous and young again.

"You said it before. You're sort of actually a real princess. I should have been expecting this." He tried to smile for her, but it felt fake and it died quickly.

"How could anyone expect this?" she said, pulling the elaborate headpiece from her hair, disentangling it from her own hair. She threw it down onto the floor, and shook her hair loose. "I hate this. I hate being this." She was frowning, and looking quite conflicted, she picked up the golden headpiece, delicately, and held it in her elegant fingers like something of great emotional importance. She looked quite sorry.

"Dara, you can't help being who you are. I mean, yeah it's a little intimidating, but you're still you. You still snore in your sleep, regardless if you're a princess or a pauper."

She looked offended for a second, but then grinned at him.

"I snore?! As if." Poe came to stand closer to her, and gently prized the crown, or whatever it was, out of her fingers. He set it down gently on the table next to them.

"You snore, you speak Wookie in your sleep, you snort, and you grind your teeth." He put his hands on her waist, and held her close. Dara looked down at Poe with concern.

"But does this… change anything?" Poe shook his head.

"Well, I mean, you've just made a very public anti-Order statement. But to me, nah. I just, didn't know Jedi could be in positions of power…" She stepped away from him and began to pace.

"Am I? Am I a Jedi? Couldn't I just be a neutral power of the Force? Why do I have to be anything?"

"Dara…"

"I know, I know that sounds bad."

"Dara."

"Poe, please. I know. But I'm not evil. I'm not a Sith."

Poe sat down and watched her pace. She kept trying to convince Poe that she wasn't a Sith and that she was a good person, but that she didn't see why she should have to make the vows of a dead order.

"Dara, please. Stop. I know. I know you're a good person. Come on. Will you sit down. Please." He was getting dizzy and tired just looking at her. "How about we spend some time here. You can show me your planet, you can take care of your people, and you know. Give your mother some time to work on the information we gave her. I think you're pretty stressed. So we should just hang out." Poe shrugged. Dara laughed.

"You want to just hang out with a princess?"

"Yes. But she has to be you." Dara chuckled again.

"Okay Poe Dameron. I'd be honoured." They smiled at each other for a time. Poe felt exceptionally fond of Dara. He wanted to make sure she was going to be okay. "Playing hooky with my favourite pilot would make me less stressed." Dara called in a handmaiden, the same one that had brought Poe to her. "Bring him to a room, make sure he is cared for. Call in the others and have them undress me." The squat handmaiden bowed low then smiled at Poe. He followed her from the room, with one last look at Dara, who gave him a wink in farewell.


	25. Chapter 25

Poe never thought Alderaan could be a dangerous place. It was a small planet, that was quite peaceful. They had high politics, and very pacifist laws. Violence was very low on this planet. It was a beautiful place. But human nature was what it was.

The streets of Alderaan were cobbled with beautiful lush trees either side. It was completely picturesque. Street vendors sold fresh food and beautiful ornaments and trinkets in colourful stalls here and there. Statues of famous galactic figures stood alongside famous people from Alderaan. In a large plaza at the centre of many streets branching out from it, in front of the large palace complex, a large statue of General Leia stood towering over them all. Poe looked up at the large figure, very much in awe.

"I'm starting to think you like my mother more than me." Dara said, a smile on her face. They were being accompanied by undercover palace guard. Poe wasn't exactly at ease posing as Dara's boyfriend in front of them all.

"Your mother was always my biggest hero when I was growing up. She pretty much saved the galaxy." Poe said with a shrug. He wasn't abashed at all about how much he looked up to General Organa. He was waiting for Dara to come back with a witty one liner but she was surprisingly silent for once.

"That's actually quite endearing." They walked hand in hand down the main boulevard, the people stepping out of their way. Some of the people recognised her as their Princess, others didn't really seem to know who she was, but they saw her regal bearing and intimidating presence.

"Dara Varana Solo, are you telling me, that I, the best pilot of the resistance, am cute?" He grinned quite foolishly at her. She only rolled her eyes in response.

"I need to get something here." She let go of his hand and drifted over to a stall to speak quietly to the vendor. Poe watched her with great interest. He was more infatuated with her with every day that passed. People passed between them, but Dara was safe. This was her planet and she was the Princess. Beloved by them. Her people revered her.

The crowd was getting thicker as Dara's conversation with the vendor continued. Poe wasn't feeling quite so secure right then. But he told himself to be rational. There were palace guards all around them and this was a peaceful place. Someone was walking towards Dara. They were in dark colours and shrouded. They didn't fit in. Poe's sense of panic overwhelmed him, and he tried to fight through the crowd to get to her. The person in dark clothing approaching Dara was holding something. Poe couldn't see what it was.

"Dara!" he shouted. She turned and saw the person, as they threw something at Dara, she turned her head just a fraction to avoid it, but she failed. The dark clothed person ran away and disappeared into the crowd. It was only a second later that Poe heard the ear-piercing shriek of pain. Dara was on her knees by the time Poe reached her.

The bastard had thrown acid at her. The left side of her head was angrily dissolving. Hair and flesh fell away from Dara's beautiful head. Poe held her arms briefly to look at what damage had been done. They had missed her face, but the side of her head was badly damaged. Her ear would have to be forsaken.

"Help!" Poe yelled. The palace guard was by the pair of them in seconds, pushing pedestrians away from them. Dara continued to cry out in absolute agony. "We need to get her to medical help. NOW!" Poe snapped at the guards. They jumped into action immediately. Poe would not leave her side. Not for love nor money would he leave Dara when she needed him. She clutched his hand to the point of agony on Poe's part, but he would not withdraw it. He. Would. Not. Leave.

"I'm going to take care of you Princess. It's okay. I've got you. I'll keep you safe." With a pang of guilt, Poe realised he had failed her. He had failed to keep her safe. Her pain was his fault. Nowhere was safe in this galaxy, and he should have been more vigilant. He gingerly picked up the glass bottle that lay beside Dara. "Get something to put this in. Just in case they need to figure out what did this to her. Or who, somehow." He passed the bottle to one the guards carefully and watched a medical vehicle finally arrived to take them away.

Poe couldn't pay attention to much else that happened, once they had been bundled up together. They had tried to separate Poe and Dara, but Dara had a vice like grip on him, and was staring up into his eyes, fury and pain behind them. She had her mouth clamped shut, but was still moaning loudly in pain.

"It's going to be okay. I love you, Dara, stay with me. You're going to be okay." Poe kept repeating platitudes to her over and over again. Somewhere in the back of his mind he realised he had told her that he loved her. He could worry about that later. Right now he was worried about his Princess. She crushed his hand. He would never complain about it. No matter how much pain he was in, he knew she had to be in much more grievous anguish. He hoped they could help her.


	26. Chapter 26

For all her power, Dara wasn't able stop this vicious and personal attack. Poe sat at her bedside, exhausted, a blaster in his hand, watching over her. Her head had been bandaged, and they had given her something to help her sleep. They had grafted some skin on, and attempted to salvage her ear. But she would be scarred forever. And she'd forever be partially bald. He was incredibly sad for her. Her breathing was even and deep. He was glad she wasn't in any pain right now. Poe would never forget the sound of Dara roaring in pain. Her screams would haunt her dreams. Another traumatic event to add to the list. But the worst thing about it for Poe was that he felt he had failed her. He was there to watch her back, and he had watched as acid was thrown in her face. The scar upon her beautiful face would remind him forever how he had failed her.

The door of Dara's room opened slowly. Poe sat more alert, the blaster pointed at the door, as he put himself before Dara. It was the squat handmaiden again, whose sole purpose was to take care of him, it seemed. She looked disgusted and furious. Poe tentatively lowered the blaster.

"They found the bastard." she intoned, quietly. Poe stood. He was completely dishevelled. His hair was a mess from having run his fingers through it in desperation, his jaw was covered in two days' worth of coarse stubble. He knew he needed a shower. He had refused to leave Dara's side for anything, not even sleep. But for this he would leave.

"BB-8, watch her like a hawk." The small droid beeped quietly in affirmation. Poe laxly gripped the blaster and he followed the handmaiden to a small holding cell that was almost as heavily guarded as the Princesses quarters. The figure in the black clothing turned out to be a square faced woman with a formidable bone structure. Her beetle black eyes glared up at Poe with grim satisfaction. Poe came to stand before the chained woman, who stood to look at him. There was a dark foreboding aura about the woman. He felt that he was in the presence of a person who was not in the full possession of their wits. This woman was a psychopath. And she hadn't even opened her mouth yet.

"Why did you do it?" he asked. He was surprised at how calm he sounded. He was so tired he didn't have the energy to be furious. He had spent day and night by Dara's side in a state of complete alertness in case they came back to finish her off, or if someone else tried to get her when she was vulnerable.

"Darkness breeds darkness." the woman said quietly and with a sinister tone. Poe had no idea what she meant. That was no kind of answer for why she had attacked the Princess. His Princess. She lay in a bed with half her head melted off because of the actions of this woman. He deserved more than "Darkness breeds darkness" whatever the heck that was. He waited in a sinister silence for her to elaborate. His lax grip on his blaster tightened. Part of him wanted to shoot her right between the eyes for what she had done to Dara. But he knew he shouldn't. The decision lay with Dara. He was on her planet now. And she was the one who had been hurt.

"She crawled from between the legs of the daughter of Darth Vader, the scourge of the galaxy. Only darkness and filth crawls from Leia Organa's hole." She had touched a nerve there. Tired or not, Poe had enough energy to head-butt the woman. She staggered back, after a very satisfying crack. Her nose spouted blood and she yelped in pain. He turned on his heel disgusted and made to leave. He rubbed the spot on his head that had made contact with the foul woman. But the woman's voice made him stop in his tracks. "She speaks to her brother in her dreams. I've seen it in her head." the woman said in the same, sinister monotonous voice. "She is his tool. Beware her." He left the room without looking back, but her words had chilled him. He stood outside for a minute or two, considering whether or not he should go back in there and get some straight answers out of her. The guards were looking at him, a mix of concern and anger on their faces. Everyone loved the Princess in the palace.

Coming back to Dara he could see her tossing and turning. He thought she must be close to waking. He went back to sitting beside her on her bed, blaster in hand, alternating between looking at her and at the door, waiting for the next attack. She had to be the most heartbreakingly beautiful person he had met. He thought she was such a subtle blend of truly excellent personality traits. She was funny, but serious. Innocent, but very intimidating. She was mischievous, yet dutiful. He was crazy about her. And he would do anything for her. He just wanted her to be okay. He would tell her mother as soon as she woke and he would hear no argument from her. Dara was all the General had left in her life. And the general was all that Dara had. Neither of them had Ben Solo, but he seemed to haunt them at every turn.

"You're going to wake up soon, and I'll be here. And I promise to keep you safe. Always. I'll never let you down again." He took up one of her delicate hands and kissed it and held it to his cheek.


	27. Chapter 27

Poe snoozed pleasantly on a soft bed, that cushioned him and made him feel so well rested. He felt like he was lying on a cloud. Everything was okay. All was good with Poe's world. He smiled happily as he cuddled into the blanket he lay upon. He felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him gently.

"Mom… five more minutes." he muttered, unintelligibly. The hand shook him again, and the past few days came flying back to him. He shot upright with the blaster pointed at the door. "I'll kill you!" he shouted, in a slurred tired yelp. He blinked his eyes and tried to wake himself up and realise what was going on. BB-8 beeped at him frantically.

"She's awake?" There was nobody coming in the door and he looked behind her and sure enough Dara was awake, and had moved away from Poe when he jumped. She gazed up at him with her gorgeous hazel eyes.

"I'm awake." she said sarcastically. He sat on the bed again and took her hands and kissed them both.

"Are you okay?" He cuddled her hands to his face and felt great joy to see her awake and smiling tiredly at him.

"I imagine I must be a hideous sight." she said, trying to laugh, but there were tears in her eyes. Poe knelt next to bed, and stroked her hair as he held her hand.

"You know I think you're the most beautiful person in the galaxy, Dara Varana." She sat up and looked quite insecure.

"Thank you…" she said, a vulnerable tone to her gentle voice. "You stayed with me. Through it all. Thank you. Thank you so much." Dara was on the verge of tears. Poe frowned, sad to see her distraught. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, stroking her hair. And then she started to cry.

"My life is going to pieces. My father is dead, my brother wants to kill me, he had someone throw acid in my face. I look like a ruin. How am I meant to be the gracious Princess of Alderaan when my face looks like this?!" She dissolved into tears. He held her all the tighter.

"When your face is beautiful? When your face shows the incredible, strong woman that you are? When your actions and personality far outshine your beautiful outward appearance." Poe was crazy about her, and her physical beauty wasn't even the leading factor in his attraction to her. And she was an incredible person, who many were fond of, despite her coming across as standoffish at first. He wished he could make her see herself the way he saw her. He wished he could make her understand what an incredible woman she was.

"Poe…"

"What?" She looked as though she wanted to argue, and was going to get up into a tirade in disagreement, but it seemed that at the last second, her argument died, and she smiled instead.

"You're too kind." He lay down beside her in her bed and held her close, in a warm embrace.

"I'm as kind as you deserve, and you still deserve more."

Weeks had passed in a quiet solitude. Dara and Poe remained within the palace with the safety of a royal guard. They ate and drank, and explored the large palace together. All the while, Poe was getting updates from base command. He had informed the General about Dara's condition. Of course she was deeply worried, but Poe assured her that Dara was okay, and that the culprit had been caught. He had not told her what the scum had said. Plans were being formed with new information mined from Sullust by cleverly placed spies. A battle would take place eventually. They were building something. Poe shuddered to think that they were preparing to make another Star Killer base. Poe would be recalled sooner or later. He kept this information from Dara for now. She was happy with him. Staying in the palace suited her for now. He wondered if she wasn't afraid of going outside. He wouldn't blame her. A horrible thing had happened to her. But the galaxy needed her. He held her hand as she examined her reflection in a large mirror in front of a vanity table. Her eyes were soft with sorrow. Poe leaned down and gently kissed the top of her head.

"Everything will be okay." She nodded before she stood

"I need to see her." Dara said quietly, dressed in regal finery with a stern look on her face. Poe didn't approve of this idea, but Dara was a grown woman, and the monarch of this planet.

"You won't like what you hear." Dara shook her head.

"I don't want to hear anything that falls out of her mouth. I will look into her mind. I need to know if Ben has connected the dots. I need to be safe. He never paid attention to the reformation of Alderaan, or the politics our mother taught us, but he is in the company of smarter people now. They will put two and two together at some point." Poe still didn't like the idea. Poe had met the woman, and he didn't need the force to know that she was psycho. But he supposed that Dara needed to see that with her own eyes.

"I'm staying with you."

"Poe."

"You can't argue with me on this one. It's my job to keep you safe and I failed-"

"Poe. It's okay. I want you with me." Poe closed his mouth and looked at her reflection. He squeezed her shoulder gently. He could hardly wait to come face to face with the psychopath that had hurt his Princess so badly. It was going to be the absolute highlight of his day.


	28. Chapter 28

"Bring in the prisoner." rang Dara's voice, her imperial tones filling the room. The room held councillors and aristocrats, alongside the royal guard. Dara sat upon her throne, her face painted white, her lips red, and her eyelids painted in black lines. She wore a black robe, with tight sleeves that went down over her hands. Her long hair fell down her back in a long braid, with a large crown on her head. The ruin of the left-side of her face was as intimidating as her regal bearing. Poe stood off to the side of the throne, in what was a rare and startling positioning, apparently. The doors facing the throne opened with great ferocity, as two very tough female guards dragged Dara's attacker into the room. Poe noted that he would not want to get into a fight with any woman on this planet. They were all fierce, and bigger than he was. The woman being dragged between the two guards, had a pair of black eyes and a broken nose. She lifted her chin and glared defiantly up at Dara.

"SPAWN OF DARKNESS!" she yelled, and she spat in the direction of the Princess. Of course she was too far away, but the message was strong enough. The aristocrats and councillors muttered amongst themselves in what Poe hoped was outrage.

"Be silent." Dara said, in a tone that brokered no argument. It was dismissive and cold, and it certainly shut her up. Dara stood. Another wave of muttering swept through the crowd. Poe started and was ready to move with her, his hand on the blaster at his hip. Dara moved very slowly, every step echoing around the room. She stood over the woman glaring down at her. She extended a hand forward, and the two guards held the criminal's arms all the tighter. Dara placed her hand upon the head of the woman, and closed her eyes. Poe felt that brief constriction that accompanied the impressive power of the Tempest. Dara laid her hand upon the woman for a time, the woman went very still and her eyes glazed over. Dara withdrew and returned to her throne. There was silence in the throne room. Poe wondered what Dara had seen within the woman's mind, but her face was an imperceptible mask.

"Do you have any remorse for you actions?" Dara asked. She didn't really seem to care. Poe could tell that she was upset.

"None." croaked the woman, her dark eyes glaring up at Dara.

"This woman is clearly a risk to the safety of the public. Her mindless violence cannot go unchecked. I move for imprisonment." Dara scanned the crowd of aristocratic representatives. "Those in favour." Almost everyone in the room raised their hands. Poe saw the slight twitch in her brow. It seemed she had been expecting a unanimous vote, and in truth, so had Poe. The action had been despicable and contemptable, but it would seem that Dara did not command as much love as Poe had thought. Did some people actually think she deserved what she got? Once the prisoner had been dragged away to be incarcerated. Dara stood to leave, and Poe followed her, leaving the roomful of representatives behind. Dara allowed her handmaidens to take off the more complicated garments and dress her simply, before she thanked them and ordered them away. Poe sat on a velvety armchair and watched Dara pace. He could tell she was upset. Her fingertips ran over the thick scarring on the side of her head as she thought.

Poe didn't want to ask her. He could see that she was disturbed, and he didn't want to push her.

"She knows who I am." Dara's voice was quiet and scared. "People are starting to know who he is. They know Kylo Ren is…. Ben." Dara's eyes looked soft with tears. "They see his darkness, and look for it in me! They WANT me to be evil so that they can condemn me! They know I'm descended from Anakin Skywalker. They know who I am!" Dara's voice had escalated in panic, and she was near screeching by the time Poe stood up and grabbed her arms and held her in place, and waited for her to look into his eyes.

"What did you see?" Dara, struggled against his hold and whimpered. Poe let go immediately. She was panicking. "It's okay. It's just you and me in this room, and nobody's going to come in. You're safe here. I know. I'm still here. You're a good person. It's going to be okay." He continued to speak to her in calming tones. She gulped in a few breaths, and seemed on the verge of hyperventilating, when she seemed to get more control of herself.

"That woman was a prisoner of Kylo Ren. He tortured her." Poe felt like the wind had been taken out of his sail of righteous anger. "He broke her. But she saw some of his mind too. Kylo knows who I am. He knows that the Princess of Alderaan is his twin sister. And people are starting to catch on. They're starting to turn against me." Dara clutched her own arms as though a chill had crept into her bones.

"Do you really care what people think?" She stood still and looked at him for a time.

"I don't know. Maybe?"

"Dara… I need to leave soon. I need to go back to base and prepare for the next battle…" She looked deeply upset by this. "I want you to come back with me. Join the fight. Help us. Help me." Dara looked at Poe for a moment and said nothing. She turned her back and walked away, heading into her bedroom. It would seem that Poe was not meant to get an answer. He sat in the voluminous red velvet chair, dying to go after Dara. But he understood that she wanted to be alone. That she needed to think. Poe truly wanted her to go back with him. He really hoped she would.


	29. Chapter 29

Poe sat in a circular room with the other x-wing team leaders. They were poring over a plan of the base on Sullust, trying to figure out what kind of armada the First Order had in place here. From what they could see, the base had the capacity for a number of crafts. Nothing to the scale of a dreadnought, but enough to cause ground assault trouble. And if the First Order knew they were coming, they would have trouble to face before they could even deploy ground forces. General Organa paced around the plan, her arms crossed, deep in thought. Blue leader was proposing his plan for his team.

"My team could fly in from the east and hit their shield generators. Once these are out, we can take out the base's power. That should take care of the air-defence weaponry at their landing bays." Poe shook his head.

"No good. The model they're using on this base has its own independent power source. Impossible to take them out neatly. We'll have to destroy the guns, and we'll lose people." The General stopped and looked at Poe, and with a stab to the heart he was reminded of her daughter, Dara.

"What would you suggest then Dameron?" Poe shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

"The only logical thing to do would be to take down the shields, and have a ground team take out the guns. Then air support can come in. It's a really dangerous plan, but it's the one most likely to work, and the one with the least loss of life." The General continued to stare at Poe, as though trying to see into his mind. Her gaze was piercing, and he well believed she'd be able to see into his soul. He idly scratched his cheek, aware that everyone in the room was staring at him. Some with scepticism, some with approval.

"Whoever we sent in would have to be very efficient and know the weaponry of the First Order very well. The team would have to be resilient, equipped to do the impossible." The General began to pace again, and Poe dug his fingers into cold concrete tier he sat upon. He knew the consequences of what he had suggested. His guts were wrenching. He knew what the General was about to say.

"Finn. His inside knowledge of the workings of the First Order and their weaponry would prove invaluable here. I will mull over what other agents to send in with him in the ground team, but I believe he is the one to send." Poe's stomach did a sickening somersault. He had just thrown his friend into the fire. "Black Leader, I want you to provide air support to the ground team. Your team is as specialised as they come. We want to give our forces the best chance. Will you draw fire from the ground team?" Poe broke out into a cold sweat and felt like he would be sick. He was going to stake the lives of his entire team on this mission, and many of them would die, he felt. For the greater good, he told himself.

"Black Team will provide air support, General." She nodded in contemplation.

"Go and debrief your team, Black Leader." Poe stood and nodded. He walked out of the circular room with legs like jelly. The stage had been set. He was to go back into battle again. He was an excellent pilot. He was confident in his abilities, but he was always going to be nervous. Scared. Especially since he had the lives of others in his hands. But this was the reality of war. He went to the hangar to find his team, ready to be put through their paces on drills. He looked around at all their faces. Many of them would die under his command. With a heavy heart, he brought them to attention and started to give them the details.

Poe sat in the canteen with Rey, who had arrived back at base a few days earlier with Finn. Poe had been relieved that things hadn't been awkward between them. They continued forward as friends who had missed each other. Her hands lay flat on the cool metal table, her brows drawn. Poe couldn't think of what to say to her. General Organa was briefing Finn now on his part in the assault on the base in Sullust. Poe couldn't tell her the detais. But he had a feeling she knew the matter was grave, and perilous. They sat together in an uneasy silence, Poe's stomach growling at him with anxiety. Rey looked up suddenly, and hastily stood. Poe looked around and saw Finn entering the canteen with the most unlikely person. Dara. She had stayed behind on Alderaan and would not see Poe. He had had no choice but to leave without her and without saying goodbye. He had the impression she was quite angry with him. Finn's face was blank, and looked like he didn't really want to engage with his feelings on being sent on a suicide mission. Dara's hazel eyes locked onto Poe's. She looked determined and fierce. That could only mean trouble. They both sat with Rey and Poe. Finn filled everyone in on what the General had said. Rey was silent, but her face looked graver and graver with every detail.

"I'm coming with you." she said.

"Absolutely not. We can't risk losing you on a suicide mission. Besides, Poe will be covering us from the air, drawing fire." Both Rey and Dara looked at Poe sternly.

"No." they both said. Poe sighed.

"Orders are orders. And somebody's got to do it." Dara looed disgusted.

"I volunteered to go in the ground team. My mother tried to convince me not to, but I'm the difference between this mission being suicide and not." Poe's stomach squelched uncomfortably again.

"Well then I'm coming too." Rey declared. Nobody argued with her, but Poe felt like he would be sick. He felt responsible for them. He had suggested a ground team. A part of him knew that team would be made up of his friends. "We've all got to do our part… We've all got talents, and power. We need to put them to use." Rey said quietly.

"Where is Uncle Luke?" Dara asked, almost cutting across the girl.

"Off on some covert something-or-other." They all sat in silence for a time. Poe supposed the gravity of the situation was starting to sink in for them. He didn't know if they had ever been in battle before. Proper battle, where hoards of the enemy were trying to do you in. He realised with a start that they were all so young. Poe was the oldest and most experienced out of them. They didn't know what it felt like to come home after a being in a killzone and having to live with yourself. Having to look at yourself after that. Having to see the faces of the dead behind your eyes every time you tried to sleep. In a way the three of them were innocent. Poe felt very sorry for them indeed.


	30. Chapter 30

Poe's hands shook. Not a great idea when he was trying to cut his hair. He took a deep breath and put his hands down. He stared into his own dark eyes in the mirror. He was on a massive dreadnought with a good bulk of resistance forces. The ship was closing in on Sullust. The entire ship had an air of doom over it. Everyone was quiet. There was no laughter. There was tension. There was a flurry of preparation, individuals trying to mentally prepare themselves. Poe stared at his head of curly locks. They'd have to go. He had been getting attached to them, but he had to be pilot Poe Dameron now. When he had time to prepare for a big terrifying battle, he always cut his hair. He always tried to make himself look his best. He wanted to leave a beautiful corpse. With steadier hands, he reached up once more, staring into the mirror of his locker and snipping at the locks of hair. He cut his hair just that little bit tighter. He started to shave the back and sides of his head, but he just couldn't bring himself to getting rid of the last of his beautiful hair. A fade it was. That hairstyle hadn't been in fashion for decades. He couldn't sacrifice his curls. He wouldn't. He set the razor down, and brushed the remaining clipping from his neck and bare shoulders. He hastily cleaned up after himself. He made his way into the shower room, cleaned himself off quickly, and shaved the impressive accumulation of stubble from his jaw. He looked clean and fresh. Tidy. He looked like a pilot. He dressed himself in his flight suit, making sure everything that needed to be connected was connected. He pulled on his boots and laced them tightly. He grabbed his helmet from his locker. He paused for a second to look at the picture of his parents.

"I'll do you proud mom." He kissed his fingers, and gently laid them on the image of his dead mother. He slammed the locker shut and started to make his way down to the hangar. He was trying to mentally psyche himself up. He'd have to give his team a pep-talk before this. He needed to psyche them up too. Before he managed to get to the hangar he met Rey, Finn, and Dara, also making their way.

They all stopped and looked at each other. They all looked different, and grim. Rey was dressed sensibly as always. Light brown colours in loose fitting clothes that would allow her to move. A lightsaber was clipped to her belt, and a blaster strapped to her leg. Finn was dressed in dark colours, armoured, and armed with a variety of weapons. Both of them looked scared. Dara was a frightening sight. She wore her customary black. Her long hair very practically braided down her back. She had painted a red stripe across her eyes, and her face had a dark and sinister look to it. She pulled her braid over her shoulder, and pulled up a hood. Rey and Finn made their excuses to leave and go on ahead. Dara stayed behind, staring into Poe's eyes.

"You cut your hair." she said. Poe was starting to notice that she had a knack for stating the obvious. Poe looked up and down the corridor. They were alone. He gently took her hand and kissed her.

"I love you Dara. Please, please come back." Her eyes widened. Before she had a chance to say anything at all, Poe had moved away towards the hangar. He told himself that they would both come back from this, and that she would tell him she loved him when they were both safe again. But Poe felt that he would never return. He felt that this was it. This was the end of Poe Dameron, the best pilot of the Resistance. He felt like he would certainly die.

He rounded the corner leading into the hangar bay, and saw a large collection of x-wings and troop transit vehicles. Rey and Finn stood off to the side with two others, exceptional resistance field agents. The tall thin woman with tightly cut hair waved at Poe. He nodded, and gave her a serious look. She understood his meaning. _Keep them safe._ Poe faced his pilots. They all stood together, wound tight as a spring. They were all feeling jumpy. That would do no good.

"Black squadron, fall in!" he shouted. They jumped to attention and aligned themselves in a neat line. He took a breath, squared his shoulders and walked over to them slowly, inspecting them. Everything appeared to be in order. "It is a beautiful day to save the galaxy!" he said loudly, mustering as much cockiness, and gusto as he could. He couldn't let his troops see him terrified and afraid for his life. They needed to believe they would escape with their lives. "We are gonna go down there, cover the ground-team, and kick some First Order ASS!" He could see some of the colour returning to some of their cheeks. Some nodded in agreement. "We are gonna stop them in their gorram tracks! They don't get to have another Star Killer base, because Black squadron ain't gonna let that happen!" he shouted. A few shouted their agreement. "I wanna see tight formations down there! I don't want to see a single wing clipped! Perfect flying! We are the best of the best! We can't let Blue squadron swoop in and steal our thunder! This is our glory, and dammit, we are gonna take it!" Everyone looked sufficiently pumped. "Load up your droids, run diagnostics, and be ready on my order." he said, as he strolled over to his own Black One, running a hand along the slick paint job that made him untraceable to sensors. BB-8 nudged into its master's legs. Poe looked down at the little droid.

"We're gonna make it, buddy." The droid beeped soothingly. BB-8 knew they'd be fine.

He felt Dara enter the room, rather than see her. He could feel the raw power almost sparking around her. She looked as determined and sinister as he had ever seen her. Poe loaded BB-8 up into his x-wing while he stared over at her. She was as terrifying and beautiful as ever. She clutched her lightsabre in her hand tightly. And spoke to the rest of the ground team in serious tones. They were nodding agreement with her, whatever she was saying. Poe's heart thudded heavily as he watched them loading into the carrier ship, with General Organa stopping her daughter to hug her. She held her child at arm's length and appeared to speak soft words to her. Poe saw Dara look sadly at her mother and answer back with a short utterance. Poe watched until he could see the last glimpse of her. He turned back to his x-wing and pulled on his helmet. The world took on an orange hue. He climbed up into his seat with a practiced grace, and checked over systems.

"This is Black Leader to Black squadron, over." he said, to check the communication systems between the other x-wings.

"Copy Black Leader." replied several voices. The carrier vessel took off ahead of them. They were to give them time to get to the guns, before the rest of the force engaged. Poe switched on the engine and let it power up. He took a few calming breathes and tried to relax his body. But he felt rigid with nerves. He rolled his neck. He was the master of the skies. This was child's play. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms. This was nothing. He could do this in his sleep. Well one way or another, he was going to have to do it.


	31. Chapter 31

Poe watched upside-down as Dara jumped down from a steep overhang and obliterated a group of Stormtroopers with an artful spin of her dual lightsabre. A second later and he was right way up, pulling the x-wing to the right.

"Black Three, engage bogey two, Black Four support." He kept as calm a voice as he could, whilst he attempted to maintain some semblance of a formation. They were doing very well. One of the guns was down, and the ground team was fighting well. Finn was working on the second gun. Poe had lost only one ship, and the pilot had ejected in a beautiful movement. He was very, very proud of his squad, but the battle was far from over. Poe was feeling they stood a chance at taking this base, when he heard the drone he had been waiting for. TIE fighters.

"Blue Leader this is Black Leader, requesting air support. Enemy inbound, over."

"Roger that, Black Leader. Blue Squadron inbound, over." Poe switched transmission back to his own team.

"Enemy inbound. Gull formation." In a beautiful motion, his pilots lined up beautifully and focused firepower on one gun, bringing its shields down. Finn had completely disabled the second gun, and there was only this third one left. As his squad continued their formation, Poe rolled over and directed fire back at the third gun, clearing a path through the Stormtroopers.

"Come on Finn…" Poe muttered under his breath.

"GO CHIEF'S BOYFRIEND!" chanted the squad. Poe gave a quick laugh and continued to concentrate.

The TIE fighters were intercepted by Blue Squadron and the Black Squadron received no additional heat. And like that the third gun was down. The black squadron cheered and whooped.

"Blue Squadron requesting assistance." Poe gathered up his pilots and flew towards the dogfight taking place over the base.

"Command, guns are down. I repeat. Guns are down." he reported back to the General. The ground troops were going to be deployed, and it would only be a matter of time. Poe was starting to feel more confident that he would live to see another day. Live to hear Dara tell him that she felt the same way, which she obviously did. Poe broke into the dirty dog fight with the rest of his squad. Poe was in an absolute sweat. This was one of the most difficult air battles Poe had been in. His teeth gritted the whole time. He felt like he was on the back pedal for much of it, until the tide of the dog-fight turned very suddenly. Having sustained some damages, BB-8 set about patching up and fixing the ship. He would come out of this alive. He had to. For Dara. To see her smile again. To see her beautiful face, to hear her beautiful voice, to catch an insight to that incredible mind again. With incredible determination, Poe chased down the final TIE fighter, Blue Leader right beside him. Pulling off impressive barrel rolls, and advanced manoeuvring, they finally locked onto the fighter, and shot it out of the sky.

"Ground Team, report." Poe held his breath, hoping that they were okay.

"We're okay." came Finn's voice. "We're all in one piece. Waiting for the other troops." Poe felt faint with relief. They had passed the most dangerous part of this battle.

"Black Squad, advance to ally carriers. Protective formation, over." Poe's squad fell into line once more, seamlessly. They escorted the troop carriers down to the surface. Poe had time to breathe a little easier.

"All flight squads, stand by for orders." The General's orders. Poe kept his squad circling as the ground troops prepared themselves. When at last the time came for an assault on the base, an outpouring of Stormtroopers came to meet them head-on.

"Light em up!" Poe barked as he swooped in to fire at the masses of Stormtroopers. They cut into their ranks. Some of the troopers had smaller air-defence weaponry, so the dance continued. Dodging between blasts, Poe again hung upside down above the battle. He saw Dara, lightsabre blades glowing stark in the darkness, streaking ahead into the Stormtrooper forces. Poe felt sick.

"Dara no…" She cut them down like they were made of butter. With a scream from her, tens of the enemy exploded outward from her. Poe righted himself, and flew on, being careful to fire into parts of the enemy hoard that didn't have the woman he loved in its midst.

The radio buzzed, as more TIE fighters were released. Someone was trying to make contact. Blaster sounds filled the radio feed.

"Kylo Ren." came Rey's voice, in a pant. "He's here!" Then the radio communication cut off. Poe felt very cold and filled with dread. There was silence across the radios, that had been filled with chatter a moment ago. The silence was terrifying. The thought of Kylo Ren being here was even more terrifying. He knows, Poe thought. He knows that Dara was going to be here. Was she strong enough to defeat him? Even as he engaged in another dog-fight, Poe's mind was flooded with the memories of his torture. His hands clenched on the console. Now was not the time. He had more important things to do.

"Tighten up that formation! Black Three! Black Three! DAMMIT!" One of his x-wings exploded violently with one of his pilots still inside. That seemed to fill the squad with the increased desire to fight, and destroy the First Order. Poe swore furiously as he gunned down the TIE fighter that had killed his friend. He would make them pay. They would not win. He would not allow them to.


	32. Chapter 32

Dara felt him. She hadn't felt that mind since she had been a very young girl, wide eyed and terrified, as her brother slaughtered the other padawans and ran away. He had spared his sister. He couldn't bear looking into her eyes, and putting a lightsabre through her. She had been a scared little girl then. But she was a pissed off woman now, with the biggest force-sensitivity in the galaxy. She was storming through the enemy forces, cutting them down, like they were of little consequence. Anyone who was too close to her fainted from the sheer force she was exuding. She didn't really need to pay attention to where she was going, she was using the Force to pull herself towards him, searching him out with her mind. The enemy base was huge and complex, but the Resistance would annihilate them. She went up a couple of levels, her anger and dread boiling over. The lights flickered under the sheer force of her power. She was so close. She could almost taste the darker force of her brother. A flavour of force she hadn't felt in so long.

"BEN!" she screamed. Her own voice scared her. She sounded hysterical, insane, murderous. She wondered in slight abject horror at what her brother would look like now. He had always kept his hair longer than the other boys. He had dark hair, unlike Dara, who had turned white at a very young age due to her power. Would he be tall and willowish like her. Was he pale, or was he that bit darker like her? Would he still have any hint of the friendly loving eyes she had seen so long ago? Would he still have that same toothy grin he did when he was a kid? Dara didn't suppose this was a time to be smiling.

A large open room opened up before her. It was empty save for a lone darkly-clad figure. Hooded, as she was. Tall, as she was. He was a little bit bulkier than she was, but Dara thought she could take him.

"Ben. Look at me." she said. She saw his shoulders hunch a little at his name. She remembered countless times calling out his name as a child, asking for help, playing games, fighting with him, having nightmares about him. He turned and faced her. He wore a stupid mask and she couldn't see his face.

"Dara." That wasn't his voice. Dara walked closer, her fist clenched tightly on her lightsabre, which lay dormant in her hand.

"Look into my eyes, you coward. Let me see your face!" Ben made no move. His fist was clenched tightly on his own lightsabre. He was a coward. He wouldn't even let her see his face. He wouldn't meet her on equal grounds. She clenched her teeth, and felt a surge in the force around her.

"Ben. Please." With a trembling hand, Ben put a hand up to his mask, and took it away, revealing a handsome face. Her brother. Her brother, who had been so protective of her. Who had loved terrible Cantina music. Who wore terrible plaid shirts, and had buck teeth for a while. He had a smooth, unfeeling face, now. A prominent nose, and darker eyes than hers. His hair was still longer than most men's. Still dark and beautiful. He was blessed with excellent genes, and a terrible mind.

"Why. Why did you have to kill our dad?" Ben's eyes closed for a second. He wouldn't speak. Either that or he couldn't speak. He hadn't been a very brave child. "Don't you remember how he used to carry us on his shoulders when we were kids. How he'd tuck us into bed, and tell us stories about the time he was a smuggler when mom wasn't around? How every Sunday, he'd bring us out in his ship, and fly us around different parts of the planets we were on? How'd he'd play our games with us, and be just as much of a child as we were. How he used to call you Benny. Didn't any of that matter?" Ben still didn't speak, but his face was showing emotion now. Remorse, guilt, anger, sorrow. "He loved you."

"I loved him too!" Ben finally shouted. He dropped his helmet.

"You murdered our father." Ben stopped looking at her for a time. When he resumed his gaze, he was cold and hating again.

"You understand nothing. You have no idea what I'm doing."

"Fuck, Ben. There isn't a person in the Galaxy knows what you're doing." Ben rolled his eyes, just like he used to do when he was younger.

"We both know why you're here." The red blade of his lightsabre ignited, with a sinister crackle, the crossguard coming as a surprise. This was a very poorly made blade.

"Mom sends her love. She wants you to come home." Dara said, blankly as she engaged her own lightsabre. Hers was far superior. She felt Ben trying to batter against her mind with the force. A fruitless effort.

"You should know better." She pushed against him with the force she held contained within her, knocking him back a few steps and giving him a nosebleed, the lights flickered and going out. Only the red flickering light of Ben's lightsabre and Dara's steady green blades illuminated the room.

"Are you going to kill me, sister?" Ben asked viciously. Dara twirled her lightsabre and engaged, fighting him with a strong front. Dara may have been more athletic, and possibly more skilled than him, but he matched her blow for blow. "Haven't you ever wondered why?"

"Oh gee. Never have I ever wondered why my most beloved twin brother WENT TO THE DARK SIDE!" She heaved against him, and he staggered back a few steps.

"SOMEONE NEEDS TO STOP HIM!" Ben roared. Dara pretended she didn't care what he said. But of course she did. What did he mean? Dara wouldn't give him the satisfaction of asking. "Snoake. Someone needs to stop him. I can only kill him by getting close."

"You've done a marvellous job, and murdered thousands along the way." Dara could hear blaster sounds from behind them. Ben batted her lightsabre away and did a flip backwards aided by the force to put distance between them. His helmet zoomed into his hand.

"Don't give up on me." Ben said, a sad look on his face. He turned and ran, and Dara let him go. She shouted a curse at the top of her lungs. She turned to face the troops incoming, but found them to be resistance, with Rey leading them in, Finn a ways behind.

"He got away." she said before they could ask. Her heart wasn't in revenge right now. Dara didn't understand her brother. But at the end of the day he had killed her father. She needed this day to be over. With a jolt she remembered Poe. She pushed her mind out, searching for him. It was like spotting him in a crowded room. She found him instantly. He was okay. He was still in battle, but he would be okay. And he loved her. She couldn't win them all, but she could win this one, at least. She stared off at the door into which her brother had disappeared. Would it be another ten years before she saw him again? She missed him terribly, despite herself, and she felt truly mournful.


	33. Chapter 33

Victory, with only one loss to his squad. Poe had never thought he'd see the day. He mourned the loss of a good soldier, but revelled in the survival of all the others. They sat in a large passenger vessel on its way back to the base. The space on the vessel was cramped, but it was the best atmosphere. This victory would put the First Order on the retreat yet again. No Star Killer bases here. They drank and talked, and laughed, and sang. This was a celebration. Poe even sat with Blue Squad for a time, consoling them on their losses, and complimenting them on their own glories. Poe felt good. For now. He might feel terrible about the loss of life later. He might stop and think that beneath every Stormtrooper helmet was another Finn. But tonight was not the night for that. Tonight was a night for revelry. He was still in his flight suit, but he had stowed his helmet away. He led the squad in an old Rebel Alliance victory song, which quickly consumed the canteen, with many a banged fist, and stamping foot. He was getting red faced and euphoric. Finn was grinning like a fool, and Rey was joining in with the old Rebel songs. He hadn't seen Dara, and thought that perhaps she wasn't on the same transport ship, which was a shame. He wanted to kiss her, and celebrate with her.

As though thinking about her, had summoned her, Dara appeared into the canteen to great cheers and applause. Many a troop and pilot had seen her streaking ahead, cutting through the enemy. Many had heard the story that she had fought Kylo Ren, just as Rey had the last time. The Jedi were heroes once again. She smiled and waved awkwardly at a few people, but she made her way right over to Poe. A couple of people were giggling amongst themselves as Dara went to Poe, and the whole canteen erupted in cheering and wolf-whistling as Dara kissed Poe very passionately, and wrapped her arms around her. Poe put his arms around her and kissed her back, the victory feeling all the sweeter. He'd won a battle and he'd won a kiss from a Princess. His Princess. She broke the kiss at last and ginned down at Poe, holding him close.

"I love you too." she said quietly enough that only he would hear her. So they were in love. He grinned like a boy who'd been kissed for the first time. Every time felt like the first time with Dara. She sat at table with Poe, Finn and Rey, and the Black Squad. A drink was pushed towards her and her hand was shook by several people.

"Big fan of your work." said one of the bright eyed female pilots on Poe's team. "The last motion passed by your royal decree was a long time coming, your majesty." Poe frowned at herm inquisitively. "What? I'm from Alderaan." Dara smiled at the pilot.

"And your work kept me and my friends safe. I am in your debt." Poe could tell that meant a lot to Kenza, one of his favourites. They passed the night in rapture, until the crowd started to dwindle. They were all suddenly exhausted. They had been in battle. It was reasonable.

When Finn and Rey moved off together, Dara and Poe sat alone together, staring into each other's eyes. Poe wished he wasn't sharing a dorm with the rest of the squadron leaders. As though she had read his mind, and she may well have done, Dara tugged on his hand, and stood.

"I have a room to myself. If you'd like to come with me." Her voice sounded tremulous. Poe stood with her and thought a while. Maybe they were finally going to go to the place they had been headed the first night they had met. He hadn't been expecting it of her. He never had expectations of her, never waited for her to do something. He took things as they came.

"I'd love to spend time with you." Poe said quietly. She took his hand and smiled brightly at him. She guided him down a hallway to a small room that had but a bed, and she closed and locked the door. They stood in silence, holding hands for a time, looking at each other, when suddenly she pushed Poe up against the door and kissed him furiously. He felt a moan at the back of his throat. He was always getting pushed up against doors, but this time, he really could complain. His desire and affection for her made a heady blend. Her hands pulled the zip of his flight suit down, exposing his chest. She pushed back the shoulders of the suit. Poe kicked off his boots, as his own hands clumsily fumbled with her tight clothing. She was much more efficient at undressing him. He kicked off the flight suit, and felt her strip the rest of his clothing from him. He had finally managed to loosen off her top half a little, when she stepped back and pulled it off her in a quick motion.

Poe wasn't even aware of the fact that he was naked, he just didn't really care. Dara Varana, the woman of his dreams was in nothing but her underwear before him. He took a moment to admire her beauty, before gently, and with permission, removing the last of her clothing. They hugged for a moment, nothing between them.

"I love you Dara. I'm so crazy in love with you. I just need you to know that."

"I know." she said, and she pulled him gently towards the bed. She kissed him softly before Poe went on his knees before her.

"Are you okay, Dara? Is this what you want?" Poe had to be sure. Always always be sure. With her permission, they spent the night tangled up in each other and occasionally in the sheets of the bed. Waiting made everything so much more worthwhile. Love made everything so much more meaningful. Nobody had ever made Poe feel so good before, and she said much the same thing to him, when they lay together on the bed, completely spent and breathless. Dara closed her eyes and sighed, cuddling in closer to Poe.

"This is what should have happened that night after the bar." she said. Poe couldn't agree more.

"You really made me work for your attention, Dara Varana Solo. And it was worth it, just to see you smile at me." He kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair, still marvelling at the sight of her beautiful naked body. She had wider hips than he'd realised, beautifully curvy. He could cushion his hands onto her waist, and hold on Her waist was small, appropriate for someone of her height and build. Her stomach was toned Her breasts were small, and he admired them greatly. Her shoulders were slender and freckled and smooth. Her neck was long and graceful, like that of a swan. And then came her face. The most astonishing part of her body. Striking, breath taking.

"Poe Dameron. You are a difficult man to get."

"But I'm all yours now. Only for you."

"Are you asking me out?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Awesome."

"Bit of an anti-climax, don't you think?" Poe sat up and looked down at her with a mischievous grin.

"Is that a request for another climax?" Dara winced at the bad wording and started laughing.

"Oh my gods no. Get out of here!" He kissed her cheeks repetitively making her laugh and fight against him. When he had calmed down a few minutes later, she cuddled into him again.

"So this is the start of our big adventure." she said, her voice quiet and a little sleepy.

"You and I will see this galaxy to a glorious and prosperous future."

"I'm going to tell my mother that I have a boyfriend." she said, in a teasing voice.

"She's going to actually murder me." Poe said, the realisation that he had just had sex with the General's daughter sinking in.

"She knows that I love you, Poe."

"She's going to kill me! She will chew me up and spit me out!" Dara laughed, amused by his genuine terror. Maybe she didn't realise that he was actually scared.

"That can be your next battle then."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: I had originally posted this as another fic, but whatevs. Let's stick it in here. I feel it would be more complete. Thank you guys for reading, for the reviews, the follows and the favourites. It really means a lot. So I hope ye enjoy. Thaaaanks. :D**

* * *

The thin sallow man glared around at the garish wealth he was surrounded by. General Hux had a face on him as though someone was waving dung under his nose. Poe Dameron stood with his back to the wall of the round room. Poe stared around at the four First Order representatives with their Stormtrooper guards against the opposite side of the circle. Poe clutched the heavy jug of water to his semi-exposed chest. His dark curls concealed his eyes, along with the dark beard that was coming along so well on his cheeks. The leader of the Hut clan sat on the opposite side of the table from the representatives. He had his slaves and guards and lackeys. Poe was posing as a slave for this meeting, spying, garnering information for the General. The new Hut that was in power Jennu was in favour of assisting the Resistance forces. She had agreed to organise a meeting with the First Order who had been desperately trying to reach an agreement with the Hut. They desired the trading contacts that the Hut clan had access to. But Jennu was against the First Order. General Organa being the forgiving woman she was, had greeted the Hut as allies with open arms. And now Poe was being harassed and felt up. In the name of freedom.

"Boy! Some water." snapped one of Jennu's associates. The large worm like creature could not speak the common tongue, and so had many interpreters to speak on her behalf. Poe shuffled forwards, his head bowed. He felt Jennu's tail curling up his leg and groping him slightly. He hadn't signed on for that. He adeptly poured the water into a large bowl that Jennu would drink from. The General didn't even look at Poe. His disguise was perfect, it would seem.

"Well tell your mistress that her terms are unacceptable. I cannot sign anyone over for her personal pleasure, or any First Order weapons." The General's voice was high and cold, and he spoke as though he was trying very hard not vomit. He was so displeased with his surroundings. But the information he was getting from the man was priceless. The interpreter conveyed the message to Jennu, who took the legs out from under Poe and made him collapse down upon her scaly body. He could understand why someone would want to vomit being around this woman. He lay there complacently in his very limited clothing, Jennu, toying the collar around his neck as she considered what to say. Jennu spoke in a booming voice in a slow language that Poe did not understand. He lazed on the slug-like body of his enslaver and gazed around Poe identified a number of the First Order men that had accompanied Hux. This meeting had been the culmination of months of preparation. The General had persuaded the Hut to make contact. Then Poe had been put in place as a slave to Jennu, and quickly became her favourite. There were First Order spies everywhere. Poe would have to go into the bedchambers of Jennu every night. Fortunately, the charade would end there. Now here he was, the best pilot of the resistance, getting information about the different bases of operation, about where they were already getting supplies from. About the hierarchy of the Order. Who was in charge where. Who had been corrupted. Hux was spilling all the details. Poe could scarcely contain himself. He would have excellent information to give to the General. He could do with all the brownie points he could lay his hands to. He would have to tell her eventually.

"Jennu the Hut reminds the General Hux that we can get credits from anywhere. We want something truly valuable. Something unique. We are wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings. We must be tempted with a rare prize." Hux stood suddenly. His Stormtroopers bristled, and Poe felt the tension rise in the room. Things suddenly got very, very serious. Jennu's own guards placed their hands over their blasters. Jennu threw Poe aside. He clambered to his feet and fled to wall, cowering like the slave he was meant to be. What was going to happen here?

"We have been at this for hours now and made no progress. I am not known for my patience. This negotiation is at an end. Kill them all." Hux pulled on a hat and strode from the stuffy meeting room as the Stormtroopers opened fire. Poe dove for the board table, and with the help of some of Jennu's entourage, they managed to throw the table over on its side. The belly of the table had blasters strapped to it. Poe grabbed up one of them and took cover. Waiting for an opportune moment to stick his head out and fire back at the Stormtroopers. This was going to be a tight battle. Jennu had stood very little chance, and had been obliterated. Poe snatched an explosive from the hand of a slightly terrified looking young man. He pulled out the pin with one hand, double checked which hand held what, then threw the explosive.

"Grenade!" Poe shouted, to make sure the guys on his side of the table too adequate cover and were prepared. The explosion pushed the table back a little. Some of the Stormtroopers had had time to react, but they had lost some of their number. Poe stuck his head up, fired off a few rounds, then ducked back down. He took a couple of breaths, stuck his head back up and fired off more rounds, and managed to get the last couple of Stormtroopers. Silence returned as suddenly as it had disappeared. Poe still ducked under cover, as though waiting for the dust to settle. He took a breath and stuck his head up again, peering around to see if anyone remained to be eliminated. He looked down at the sluggish corpse of Jennu the Hut. What a waste. But she had sacrificed herself to the freedom of the galaxy.

Poe stood fully and picked his way out of the room. He needed to get to his ship which was tucked away near the childhood home of Luke Skywalker. Poe did not look forward to making his way there. In the gruelling heat of Tattooine the trip would be hell. He took every corner slowly, anticipating an enemy at every turn. He couldn't wait to be off of this assignment. He had left Dara behind at base. He remembered their feverish kisses, the sad look in her eyes when he was leaving. Her hands in his, urging him to be careful, to come back to her. He relished the thought of returning to her. Months he had spent in her company, receiving every ounce of love she had to give. Soon he would return to that. His Dara Varana. His love. The desert sun beat down on him. The First Order representatives had left already. The transit vehicle for the Stormtroopers remained behind. Poe took the very useful opportunity to steal an enemy ship. He was Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the resistance. He could fly anything.


	35. Chapter 35

It had been too risky to attempt to establish contact on Tattooine. Poe didn't want to have his communications intercepted. He would have to return to the base as soon as possible. The flight back took less time than Poe had anticipated, and he was stepping out of the old beaten up personal carrier in no time. He got some funny looks running through the cold base in the scanty clothing of a Hut slave. He burst into the conference room that doubled as the General's office. She was speaking to a cloaked figure who Poe suspected as being Luke Skywalker. Poe hesitated. When the General looked up with wide eyes, she beckoned Poe in quickly, and spoke a couple of quiet words to the hooded figure, who left quickly, not looking at Poe.

"General…" The General sat and looked up at Poe.

"Sit, Dameron." Poe sat and told her the details of everything that happened to him since entering the pretend enslavement of the Hut. He gave every single detail of the meeting with General Hux that he could recall. Who was there, what had been said. Where their bases were, who was in charge where. The General recorded every single word Dameron said, with an increasing look of victory on her face.

"Dameron… Yet again you have done the Galaxy a great service. This Resistance would be nothing without you." Such words of kindness took Poe by surprise. The General was Poe's greatest hero, and such kind words meant the most to him.

"General I…" She waved away any words he was going to come out with next.

"Dameron… I understand that you and my daughter are quite close." Poe felt a cold pit of anxiety and terror forming in his stomach. He was in love with her daughter. He had sex with her daughter. After he was done here, he was going to go and find her and kiss her.

"General… I…" he started again. She waved him down again. He was starting to panic now. She was going to hate him.

"She's never really had friends, and I am glad that she has a friend like you." Poe felt frozen. Everybody knew about him and Dara. Surely by now the General knew too. "Dameron you have helped the galaxy your fair share. And you have been such a comfort to my family. But I fear that I must ask more of you." Poe was still trying to process the fact that the General didn't know that he was having sex with her daughter.

"Poe… Dara's gone. She's left again. She's been gone for weeks. She left shortly after you left. Said she was going to Coruscant. But she's not come back. There's been no word from her. She's missing." Poe felt like he had been plunged into a lake of ice. Dara. She was missing. She was gone. He wasn't going to go by her chambers and find her meditating on the force communicating with spirits of Obi Wan Kenobi and Yoda. She wasn't going to smile at him, and welcome him back.

"She's gone." Poe couldn't hide the absolute devastation in his voice. He glanced up to look into the eyes of the General very briefly. He thought he had seen tears there, but he had looked away again so quickly that he couldn't be certain.

"I have lost my husband. My son. My brother is a recluse and has greater duties to attend. I just want my daughter to be safe. Dameron. I cannot ask this of you lightly. I have sent you find my daughter once before. I would like for you to search for her once more. Rest up. Take some time to consider. This is a request. Not an order." Poe looked up, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I'll find her General. I promise you." The General looked at him with very soft eyes.

"Thank you Poe. Please. Take your time. Take any resources you need. Take anyone you need. This…. This is a great favour you are doing me."

"Like you said, ma'am. She's my friend." Poe was going to run to Finn and possibly freak out and ask him what to do. Finn would know how he felt. Rey and he were always being separated.

"If it's alright with you ma'am, I'd like to put some actual clothes on now." She nodded and gave him her leave. Poe looked back at her as he left. There stood the loneliest woman in the Galaxy.

Finn stood at Poe's locker piling things into a duffel bag for them both. Poe was just coming out of the shower, towelling himself dry as quickly as possible. He would have no time to cut his hair or shave.

"Finn. You don't need to come with me." Finn glanced up, and looked away quickly. Poe knew he was naked, but there was no time to be modest.

"Poe, you and I are friends. And we have to find Dara. I need to something to do. So I'm coming with you." Poe clapped him on the shoulder then quickly pulled on some clothes.

"I've gotten a two person transporter lined up. We'll be comfortable enough." Finn didn't really seem to have much to say. Poe stopped to look at him.

"You love her, don't you?" Poe didn't quite understand the look on Finn's face. Was he sad? Was he jealous?

"I care about her. She's one of us now." He actually didn't really know what to say to Finn. Yes he loved Dara. He was in love again. Was Finn perhaps worried that what had happened between the two of them had now been rendered meaningless? How would Poe even begin to tell him that that wasn't the case?

Finn… I care about you too. I don't want you to feel as though you have to come. You've saved my life. If anything I owe you." Finn shook his head and smiled.

"Friends help each other out. Let's go. Like you said. We haven't a moment to lose. Before the trail goes cold, or whatever." Poe's gaze lingered on Finn for a moment. He had seen this man in so many different states, and he felt as though the two of them had been through so much together in such a short period of time.

"Finn, I'm glad you're coming with me." Poe always appreciated the company of a beautiful boy.


	36. Chapter 36

Poe felt an odd sensation as he made his way up the stairs to Dara's very fancy apartments. He had spent days and nights here with Dara in a chaste and happy friendship. He knocked casually on the door. It was too much to hope that she was here. That she'd open the door and looked shocked, yet happy to see Finn and Poe at her door. Finn seemed to be waiting with bated breath beside him. There was silence. Poe looked around and stooped down. He quickly eased the locking panel off of her door, and rewired it with expert hands. The door slid open. Poe ushered Finn in quickly, his eyes sweeping the corridor. People on Coruscant would recognise him as Princess Dara's consort, but all the same he didn't want to be caught. Poe slipped inside and bumped straight into Finn who stood stock still staring at his beautiful surroundings. Poe closed over the door and put his hands on Finn's shoulders.

"You okay buddy?" He could tell that for some reason that this was a big moment for Finn.

"I… I've never been to a place that's not a base or really run down." Poe finally realised. This was a home. Finn had never had a home. He had been a mindless slave to the First Order. He'd been a number. FN yada yada. But now he was Finn. He had his own clothes, some of Poe's clothes. He had emotions and thoughts that were his own. He had Rey. Poe's hands lingered on Finn's shoulders, perhaps longer than they should have. He moved into the room a little. The velvety, plump armchairs of the deepest scarlet. He sat in the one opposite the front door, and remembered that first night that Dara had taken him home. How she'd walked away and taken off her shoes. Poe remembered the way she walked very clearly.

"Finn you should sit down. You don't look so good." Finn gave him a weak smile and waved him off.

"I'm okay, Poe. Really. I just… I've never seen anything like this planet. I've never seen a house. Never seen a chair that looks like that."

Poe felt a flare of anger for what had been done to Finn. Did he have parents out there who had had their son stolen from them? Were they still alive, thinking of their little baby? Or had they been slaughtered as Finn had been prised from their grasping fingers?

"Sit down, Finn. Experience and armchair with me." Finn finally looked at Poe and gave him a genuine smile.

"An armchair you say." Finn sank into the chair opposite Poe and let out a startled gasp. "I didn't think it would be so soft…" Finn closed his eyes. "I could do with having me one of these." Poe laughed and got up, clapping his hand on Finn's arm for but a second. He threw open the door to Dara's bedroom, still hoping that maybe she'd be here. Maybe she'd be lying curled up in her bed, deep asleep. But her bed clothes were smooth and untouched. She wasn't here. He slumped down on her bed, and stared around him. What had happened that had made Dara run away? She had run away from her mother, and from him. Maybe being apart for weeks had made Dara realise that she didn't love Poe and she couldn't face him. Poe felt devastated. A piece of red paper caught his eye.

There upon the pillow on what had been Poe's side of the bed, lay a piece of red paper with the magisterial symbol of Alderaan.

 _Poe,_

 _I knew my mother would send you to look for me. Don't. Stop searching for me._

 _I'm gone. Please try to forget about me. I don't know if I can ever return._

 _I love you. What we had was real. But I have things that I need to do._

 _Dangerous things. Things that are too risky for me to involve you in. Please forgive_

 _me._

 _Your love now and always,_

 _Dara._

Poe stared down at the piece of paper, his hands trembling. She had left him. She had abandoned him to pursue some goddamned heroic crusade. He felt furious. He clenched his fist, crumpling the paper. He was breathing in great pants, his whole body heaving with the effort of containing his rage, his sorrow, his feelings of betrayal. Finn cautiously entered.

"Poe… What's wrong?" Finn's voice was small. He sounded a little bit scared. Poe stood up and hurled the piece of crappy paper across the room.

"She's left. She said not to go after her. Too risky or whatever! I can't believe her!" He started to pace. He was so worried about her. What was she doing that was too dangerous for Poe to help her with? There was nothing in the galaxy that Poe wouldn't do for Dara. Finn stood in front of Poe and stopped him pacing. He seemed hesitant to touch him.

"So what are you going to do?" Poe thought for a moment.

"Report back to the General, and then go after her anyways." Finn didn't question Poe for a second. They had to find Dara. Poe didn't get left behind.

"How are we going to find her?" Finn was being sensible at least. Poe thanked his lucky stars one of them were.

"Dara can't fly, so she would have had to have gotten a public ship somewhere. My guess is she went to Alderaan. She would be able to get more private transport there. We need to be quick. She can't get away from us…"

"Take a breath first." Finn said.

"What?" Poe snapped. He regretted his tone as soon as the word left his mouth. He wasn't angry with Finn, and he never wanted to mistreat him.

"You're…. Uh… You're pretty red in the face. Don't want you having a heart-attack or anything." Poe scrunched his brows and stared up into Finn's face.

"Just how old do you think I am?" Finn avoided his gaze.

"That's besides the point. Calm down." Poe glared at Finn for a second more then took a breath.

"I'm still young…" he muttered under his breath. Poe realised just how close he was standing to Finn, so he took a step back, feeling a little bit hot under the collar, as Poe fleetingly had an image of Finn's naked body flash through his mind. He scratched the back of his head, and willed the distracting image away.

"So we'll head to the hangar bay, and see who she took ship with and where she headed. Should be simple enough." Poe said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, feeling a little bit uncomfortable all of a sudden. He glanced up at Finn and saw him staring after him. Was there something of a forlorn look to his eyes, or was Poe simply seeing what he wanted to see. "Do you miss Rey…" Poe asked. He felt stupid for asking. But maybe he felt a little bit jealous. He had liked Finn so much. But Finn had liked Rey. And then there was Dara. Things were a mess.

"Always." Finn said, and Poe believed him with all his heart. Finn and Poe couldn't be together. Dara wanted Poe all to herself, and who was he to deny her that. But Poe couldn't deny the attraction he felt towards Finn. The level of care he had for him. How much he admired him. When it came to Finn, Poe was a ball of absolute mush. Finn could shape Poe any which way he wanted, but it seemed Finn had the grace to and kindness to be a decent person and not try to influence Poe any particular way.

"We should get going." Poe said. They both seemed to have realised that a moment had just passed between them. The cheerful conversation they had had on the way here did not resume upon leaving.


	37. Chapter 37

Poe was just transferring some credits over to a hangar worker when he spotted a cloaked figure accompanied by a young woman with brown hair. Poe glanced at them, but focused on what he was doing. Dara had taken a ship to Yavin 4, of all places. Poe had not been expecting this. He had thought Dara would go to Alderaan and then go forth untraceable from there. Yavin 4 was an old Rebel base, where an epic battle had taken place. Poe couldn't help but wonder what she would be going there for. Poe held Yavin 4 in great regard, for it was also his home world. If they were to go there and not find Dara, perhaps Poe could look in on his father. He missed him terribly, and he didn't get to see him as much as he would like.

"Thanks, pal." He clapped the guy he was bribing on the shoulder, and ran to catch up with Finn, who was following behind the cloaked figure and the brown-haired girl. "Spot them too, did you?" Finn looked over at Poe briefly.

"It's Rey. That's Rey." There was surprise in Finn's voice, and if he was being honest with himself, Poe was a little surprised too. He had never really thought to see Rey in the setting of a planet like Coruscant. Finn had told him about how Rey had never left Jakku before she had met BB-8 and Finn.

"Rey!" Poe shouted. Finn gave him an incredulous look. Sure enough the brown haired girl was Rey, as she turned around with a shocked look. The cloaked and hooded figure turned around, to survey them both with a piercing gaze. Luke Skywalker. The General's brother, and by far one of the most intimidating men that Poe had ever met.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a smile. She gave Finn a quick hug, then looked between the two of them. Luke stood back a ways, but he continued to survey the three of them.

"Dara's gone missing… I'm going to find her." Poe said. Rey's face took on an appropriately serious look. Luke took a step closer and joined in on the conversation.

"My niece is missing you say? Have you any idea where she could have gone?" Poe looked over at the Jedi. He was visibly worried. Poe wondered it there wasn't more to Dara going missing than he thought.

"She's gone to Yavin 4. She left a note saying she was leaving to do something and she didn't want to be followed."

Luke's mechanical hand closed loosely on Poe's arm, and he gently guided the pilot away to speak to him.

"You are very important to her. I have sensed that. But you must go after her. Yavin 4… The old Rebel base. I'm almost certain she was born there." Dara had been born on the same planet as him? Years after of course, but even still… "I think I know what she's doing Poe… And she must be stopped. She is delving into powers she could not possibly contain. Seeking information that is too big to be revealed at this point in time. She seeks an easy path where none exist." Poe didn't understand much of what Luke was saying, but he listened raptly. There was something about Luke when he spoke that made every detail of the world around them seem of paramount importance.

"I will find her. Kylo Ren knows she's out there now. God knows what he's going to do to track her down." Poe frowned and considered for a moment the possibility that the First Order might be hunting his princess this very moment. Like a foc being chased by a hoard of hungry dogs. Maybe that was why she had run.

"She's going to do something drastic, I just know she is… She's run away from everything before now, but the person she is… She'll want to see results. She'll want to make something happen. I feel a strong residue of the force around you. She cares for you. She ground her. Make her rational. Please find her." Luke had nothing more to say, so he drifted away.

Poe walked back over to his friends Finn and Rey.

"If the Senate grants us our old lands and exclusion for taxes, apparently we should be able to restore the old Jedi Council. At the old temple here they used to train people to be Jedi. Luke wants to start doing that again. We should be able to recruit Jedi to the cause. He wants to restore what once was, instead of having a Sith-like system where there's only two of us, a master and a padawan. He says my training will continue here, but he says I'm doing pretty well." She beamed at them both, and Poe felt a little glow of admiration for her. She was a tough woman who got herself out of every sticky situation by the sheer force of will she had.

"You're gonna make one heck of a Jedi." Finn said quietly. She frowned at him, obviously as concerned by his tone as Poe was. Rey looked as though she wanted to say something, but she refrained. She gave Poe one last look before turning and walking away to catch up Luke. Together they would seek more like them. It could be nothing but a good thing. At least Poe hoped.

"What's wrong with you?" Poe asked, not unkindly.

"Well… You can't really be with a Jedi, can you?" Poe was starting to feel that way himself. Jedi would always move to the good of the galaxy before they stayed with anyone they loved. But he didn't have it in him to break Finn's heart right now.

"We can only try our damnedest."


	38. Chapter 38

The lush green forests of Yavin 4 stretched out as far as the eye could see. Poe swept the ship in gently, a mixture of feelings welling up inside of him. It had been some time since he had been home. Since he had seen the aged trees, with the pyramids cropping up from their midst. The cloying mist that clung to the trees in the early hours. His homeworld was beautiful, and flying over, touching the tops of the trees with the wings of his ship, it hit him really hard.

"Wow. Awesome view." He looked up at Finn. He tried to speak, but he had a frog in his throat. He coughed and tried again.

"I have someone I need to see. He might be able to help out. He tends to know what's going on." Finn nodded. His face was right next to Poe's, gazing out the window. Poe glanced up at his face. Finn wasn't looking at him, and he decided that was all for the better. Being so close to Finn was becoming more difficult with time. Every time he looked at Finn, he was struck by how adorable he was. How pleasing his face was. The memories of the nights they'd spent together. Thinking about Finn that way made Poe's heart thunder.

"Can we trust this guy?" Finn said, stepping back and straightening up. He wasn't making this easy for him. Poe almost laughed.

"We can definitely trust him. He was in the Rebel Alliance. Old friends with Han Solo." Poe realised with a jolt that he was going to have to tell his dad that his old friend was dead. That seemed to be enough to convince Finn. Poe flew to the very familiar co-ordinates of his childhood home. He set down outside a house he hadn't seen in at least five years. The vines had grown up a bit high. With a jolt of guilt, Poe felt he should have visited his father, he should have cut those vines for him. A grizzled man with silver hair came jogging out of the house, a blaster in his hand. Poe's heart nearly exploded with joy when he saw his father. He looked very similar to Poe, or that was his opinion. Poe may have had his mother's eyes and nose, but his chin and ears and cheekbones were his father's. Poe ran from the ship, passing by a bemused looking Finn, with BB-8 hot on his heels.

When he emerged from the ship, his father was pointing his blaster at him, but soon dropped it at the sight of Poe. Poe couldn't have stopped the smile that split his face even if he had wanted to. Finn ducked out of the ship and looked at the scene unfolding before him. Poe made a dead run towards the man.

"Dad!" he shouted, feeling like a child all over again, running to jump into the arms of his hero dad. If his mother had been here… She had been quite the hero herself. Poe supposed he was a big goddam hero now too. His dad folded his arms around Poe as he hurtled into him.

"Poe! POE!" His dad was hugging him tightly and almost crying. He held his son at arm's length and looked him up and down. "I've been hearing stories about the great Poe Dameron. Son… I'm so proud of you! Your mother. She's definitely smiling down on you, boy." Poe beamed at his father, and felt himself swell with pride at all he had done. His dad was always proud of him, but even so it made it all seem more real for Poe when his dad told him he was great for doing what he did. "Who's your friend, son? You bring home your boyfriend, that why you've come home?" Poe's father peered around his son's shoulders. Poe was just that little bit taller than his father, which was a miracle considering Poe wasn't the tallest of men.

"Uh… Uh. No. He's my friend. We. We work together. Dad stop staring at him."

"God son, the way he's looking at you…"

"Dad please…" Poe had time to give his father one last warning look before Finn approached with BB-8.

"Little BB-8! It's been a long time!" The little droid beeped happily at their master's father.

Poe turned to Finn.

"Uh… Finn. This is Kes Dameron. My dad." Finn looked between the two of them, apparently surprised. "Dad. This is Finn. He's with the Resistance." Kes shook Finn's hand and pulled him into a hug. Finn blustered but awkwardly hugged him back.

"Anyone who's in the Resistance is welcome in my home. We'll go inside, and you can tell me why you're here."

"Can't I just visit my father?" Poe glanced sideways at his father, who subsequently laughed.

"If you're anything like your mother, and you definitely are, you wouldn't take time for yourself when the galaxy needs saving." Poe, his father, Finn, and BB-8 headed towards the overgrown house. Inside it was a different story of course. It was a little dark, but it was immaculately clean and orderly. It was just as Poe remembered. Their house had never changed when he was growing up. He always loved coming home. There was no place like it. There were no chairs as comfortable, no beds he slept as well in. No food as delicious as his dad's.

When the door closed, and Kes had them all seated, he looked at Poe expecting answers.

"Dad… I need to tell you a bit of bad news to start off with." His father's face creased with anticipation of bad news. "Dad… Han Solo is dead." The impact was instant. His father looked completely distraught.

"No! No… I thought that old bastard would live forever! Dammit! We used to be in the Path Finders together, you know…" Poe knew he said this for Finn's benefit. He never liked telling his father which one of his friends was dead. Every time they spoke it seemed as though there was a fresh death to report. Finn looked a little bit uncomfortable, but overall he matched the distraught look on Kes' face. He gave his father a moment.

"How's Leia holding up?" His father had known the General well enough, but Poe's mother Shara had been close to her.

"She's trooping on as always. Devastated I imagine." Poe remembered the first time he had ever met the General. It had been in this very house after his mother had died. He had been a little boy then, gazing up at her with wide tear-filled eyes. He snapped his mind back to the present. "Dad… She sent me to find her daughter who's run away. Her daughter was on her way here. I have no idea where to even begin to look for her." Poe's dad laced his fingers together and gazed at his son.

"It's… uh. It's a big planet, sir. But if you knew anything, we'd appreciate it." Poe was surprised to hear Finn speak, and even more surprised to hear him call his dad sir. Kes looked just as surprised. He gave his son a significant look.

"Son… Look out the window into the back garden. Tell me what's different." Poe glanced at Finn for a second before getting up and looking out the large window to the back. Poe peered out. It all looked a bit like a beautiful meadow still. Poe thought he had been lucky to have been brought up in a beautiful home like this.

"WHO CUT MOM'S TREE?!" he yelled, suddenly feeling angry. Poe knew his father wouldn't ever change the tree. Shara had let the thing grow naturally. But there was a branch that had clearly been cut.

"Was your friend a Jedi?" Poe returned to his father. He nodded, still livid that his mother's tree had been damaged. "She took the branch, and I know where she's going." Poe stared down at his father, incredulous. "That's no ordinary tree, son. Your mother got it from Luke Skywalker." Poe sat and stared some more, not quite comprehending what was going. He had had to search through Republic records to get any information about his mother. What sort of life had she led at all? Poe waited for his father to tell his story with baited breath.

"Poe, put on a kettle for tea. This one might take a while."


	39. Chapter 39

"There is a chance… and I don't know how great a chance that is… That you may be force sensitive, son." Poe gaped at his father. He could scarcely believe what he was hearing.

"Are you actually trying to convince me that mom had a magic tree…" He looked at Finn, who was masking his disbelief quite admirably. "Are you actually high right now?! A magic tree?!" Kes gave his son a rap on the knuckles with the spoon he was stirring his tea with. Poe withdrew his hand and flinched.

"That's no way to speak to your father!" Poe made a hasty apology, realising he had been disrespectful. "But in any case, I don't know much about that tree. She just said something about the force. You know Shera didn't like talking about her missions." Poe nodded and peered around his father to glance at the tree. He had climbed all over that tree as a child. He'd built a swing out of it at one point. When he was a kid, he'd wanted to live in the tree. Had this tree affected him? Poe knew his talents as a pilot were exceptional, but couldn't that just be down to his own merit? Why did he have to be special all of a sudden? Couldn't he just be a talented guy and leave it at that?

"Dad… I don't understand. How can a tree have the force?" Finn was looking at him with wide eyes now. He wished he'd stop.

"Goddam it son, how the hell am I meant to know? It's a living thing I guess? Look the point is, that's why your friend… What was her name… Dana. That's why she took it, I expect." Poe sat back, and crossed his arms. This was all so bizarre. But a large unwieldy branch of a tree wasn't the most practical piece of luggage. What was she doing?

"Let's forget about what sort of mumbo-jumbo tree I've been exposed to. What about Dara? Do you know where she went?" Finn idly drank the tea that Kes had pushed in front of him. Poe caught the comical moment when Finn, spluttered and looked into the mug after tasting the stuff. He eagerly gulped some down, and Poe couldn't help but let a little smile escape onto his lips. He caught his father looking between the two of them. He similarly crossed his arms and gave his son a smug look.

"Well, it may have been the middle of the night, but I caught her in the act. Son, she looked so scared. She's young. And I feel like she's doing this completely alone. She's not letting anyone help her or support her. There was just something familiar about her. So I helped her. She said she needed to get to Jakku. So I set her up with a ship and a pilot." Finn put his mug down a little harder than was necessary.

"Why does everyone want to go to Jakku?! Seriously!" Kes chuckled, and shrugged.

"She had these big brown eyes. I couldn't say no." Poe understood exactly what his father meant. He couldn't ever imagine anyone having it in them to say no to Dara. His own father said so, it wasn't because Poe was biased.

"But what is even on Jakku?" Poe looked over at Finn, who it appeared, really hated that planet. This wasn't the first time he had heard him complain about it.

"Rey was on Jakku." That seemed to stop his complaints. Poe was starting to see some similarities between Dara and Rey. Poe actually couldn't ever imagine being able to say no to her either. Maybe it was a Jedi thing. Maybe Poe just had a thing for brown-eyed girls.

"She said… She said they were coming. Did she mean you two, by any chance." His father sounded a little bit nervous. Instinctively Poe knew why Dara had appeared to be so scared.

"She didn't mean us dad. She meant them." Father and son shared a significant look. They both realised what was going to happen. The First Order were going to come to this planet. The Knights of Ren would be here soon. Ben Solo was going to chase down his sister.

"You need to get the word out and go underground." Poe said, standing immediately. Finn looked startled but stood also.

"Wait, what's happening?" Poe gave his father a quick hug.

"Thank you for helping her. She's Han's daughter, dad. He would have appreciated it." Kes looked quite sad all over again, but he nodded sagely. "Finn, we need to leave. The First Order are on their way. Might even just be Kylo-Jerk and his boyfriends." Finn thanked Kes for his hospitality, and hastily made for the door. Poe understood that he was afraid of the First Order. He would never go back.

"He's got an eye for you, mark my words." Poe resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well… He's seeing someone else." His father harrumphed.

"Never stopped you in the past." he muttered. Poe decided now was not the time to have an argument with his father.

"Please stay safe dad. I'm sorry I don't visit more… I'll try to do better in future." His father pulled him into a tight hug. Poe closed his eyes and felt an unwanted feeling of foreboding. "You don't have to be a hero anymore dad. I'm enough of that for the two of us." He really didn't want his father risking his life.

"Poe… Come on. Don't you know me? You can visit when there isn't a First Order to worry about." Parting with his father was always difficult. He was all Poe had in this world. BB-8 nudged old-man Dameron fondly.

Poe had swiftly set off from the surface of Yavin 4, trusting that his father would alert the rest of the inhabitants of the moon. Their take off was smooth and they saw no sign of trouble yet.

"Finn, contact the General. Tell her where we're going." Poe said gruffly, trying to hide the knot of tears in his throat.

"Are you okay, man?"

"I'm fine." Poe snapped. He regretted his tone instantly, but focused instead on pulling off from the planet. Poe swiped at his eyes, rubbing them quickly. Finn raised his eyebrows and looked to have a sassy retort on the tip of his tongue, but instead sat down and started to make the communications to the base.

"Uh…. Yeah. Hi. This is Finn. The Stormtrooper. I'm with Poe Dameron. Can I speak to Leia?" Poe was surprised Finn couldn't _hear_ the rolling of Poe's eyes. But despite himself, he smiled. The situation was becoming more dire, Poe thought. Dara had trapped herself in an intriguing position, and here he was smiling at the beautiful black boy. "We tracked down Poe's dad and he says your daughter is gone to Jakku…. Of all the damn places. Uh… Sorry General." Poe could hear the slight tone of amusement in the General's voice as she told Finn to go on. "Well… We're on our way there now. And the First Order is looking for her too…" There was silence on the other end of the line. Any sort of mention of her son was like a dagger through the General's heart. He knew that now. Poe gazed out the cockpit window into the dark depths of space. There was a speck moving in the distance. Poe flooded with panic. There was more than one speck. Once Finn had signed off from speaking to the General, Poe changed the transmission frequency immediately to the one he knew his father used.

"Kes Dameron, this is Poe. Enemy inbound. I repeat enemy inbound." There was static on the other end of the line for a moment. Poe's heart was on his mouth.

"Roger that Poe."

"I love you dad."

"I love you too, son." With a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, Poe jumped to hyperspeed, leaving Yavin 4 and the First Order ships that might kill his father far behind.


	40. Chapter 40

The sleeping arrangements on the tiny passenger ship were making things just a little bit awkward between the two men. There was only one bed. So far on their journey, they hadn't had much time to sleep, or Poe would be at the console. Now, however he was shattered, and he needed sleep. Poe didn't understand why he felt so awkward. It wasn't like this was the first time he'd been in a situation like this. It wasn't the first time he'd had to platonically share a bed with someone he had slept with. Poe got around as much as the next guy, but he was good at keeping things friendly. Poe didn't fall in love. He supposed Dara was the exception now. But even when other people were worried that it would be awkward, Poe's good nature put them right at ease. But with Finn, he could almost cut the tension with a knife. They got on really well. They laughed and joked, yet here he was awkwardly lying in bed with Finn. They tried to actively avoid eye contact, because when they looked into each other's eyes, they could scarcely stop. Poe's heart would quicken, and he would feel very warm. It seemed that neither of them wanted to address the issue of how the other made them feel. If Poe had thought that trying to fall asleep next to Finn had affected him, he was clearly not prepared for waking up next to the heavy-sleeper.

Finn's gentle snores took Poe right back to what suddenly seemed like simpler times. He had been right then, they were stolen moments. His peaceful child-like face made his insides squirm. He exhaled heavily, trying to regain some control over his racing thoughts and feelings. He wondered, oddly, if this was the face of the child that had been taken from his mother's arms? Was Finn always a heavy sleeper? Had he always looked so peaceful? What about when he was being conditioned to be a Stormtrooper? Had he slept with the face of an angel then? He felt a great pang of pain for Finn. He understood that taking Finn with him when he went to see his father may have been the first interaction of his memory of a father and son interacting. FN- whatever he had been, had never seen parenthood. Had never seen love as unconditional as that between a parent and child. He wondered what Finn's real name was. What had his birth parents called their sweet little boy? Poe suddenly felt ashamed for all the times he had taken his father for granted. For all the times he simply assumed that his father would be there when he got back, or when he needed him next. He knew that losing his mother at a young age had taught him to appreciate all that he had. But was it enough? Finn had nothing in the world. He had Rey. Poe, feeling determined, told himself that Finn would always have him. Whatever form their relationship took, Poe wouldn't abandon Finn. He felt odd, as he looked at him, realising that he had named him. He felt immensely protective of him. Even though Finn was his handsome rescuer, he felt more capable than Finn, and therefore responsible for his safety.

"I'll be your family." he whispered in great solemnity, and in the tiniest of voices. As though Finn heard him, he stirred in his slumber his arm comically smacking Poe lightly across the face.

"Way to ruin a moment, pal." Poe whispered, a wide smile on his lips. A shiver went down Poe's spine. This was a really old passenger ship. It dated back to a time before Poe was born. The heating wasn't great, and space could get pretty cold. He resigned himself to getting up. They would arrive at Jakku later that day. Poe crept out of the bed he shared with Poe and rummaged through the few articles of clothing he had brought with him, looking for the warmest things he could find. He padded silently down the very short hallway to their bathroom, and set about warming himself up by taking a shower. At least their water heaters were working very well. He felt the chill leave him as the hot water trickled down his body. He pushed his hair back out of his face. He considered that he might need to cut it. The last time he had had a haircut was just before the battle over Sallust. That had been months ago. And this beard… He grew a good beard, but it would have to go. He stepped out into the cold air and quickly set about drying himself off. Finn staggered in, yawning and wiping the sleep from his eyes. He yawned something that sounded like good morning to Poe before taking off the last of his clothes and stepping into the shower that Poe had just vacated. Poe busied himself by dressing in his warmest woollen clothes. He set about combing his fingers through his hair and staring at his reflection in the mirror. He looked different. He supposed if times had been peaceful and he hadn't been in the Resistance, this might be what he would have looked like all the time. He could have been a singer, or a chef, or anything. Poe briefly wondered what his life would be like if he hadn't become a pilot. What would he have wanted to be? He supposed he had joined the Republic Navy. There had never been another option for him. He might still be there, court martialled most likely, if he hadn't defected. Best choice he'd ever made.

"What're you doing?" Finn slurred, as he yawned again. He was right behind him, pulling on a shirt that Poe had given him.

"I should cut my hair." Poe said, a note of resignation in his voice. Finn casually ran his fingers through Poe's wet locks.

"Nah man. It suits you." Poe looked into Finn's eyes through the mirror. He could see him nervously biting his lip. #

"The beard too?"

"Yeah." Finn turned his back, and walked in the opposite direction, back out into the rest of the ship. Poe looked back at his reflection again. When had he gotten so old? There were lines around his eyes that he hadn't noticed before. There were a couple of silver hairs at his temples. Finn had looked so young next to him. A sadness came over him. He was much too old for any of them. He had been born before the battle of Endor. Poe had never felt his age before, but he was certainly staring it in the face right now. He was still handsome though. He supposed he would eventually have to take on the mantle of handsome older man. His mind suddenly settled on the alarming truth that his father had lain at his feet. His mother's beloved tree may have changed him. He might have been force sensitive. It was such a bizarre notion, but his father had never lied to him. He looked at his toothbrush with big eyes for a moment. He flicked his hand out and willed the toothbrush to move into his hand. He nearly burst a blood vessel concentrating on this task. He felt relieved when the toothbrush stayed motionless. He turned his back on the thing, and left the room. His father had been wrong. Poe was fine. He heard something falling into the sink in the bathroom, but he didn't register what it was. He instead met BB-8 in the corridor and had a chat with the droid, making his way to the console, a new bounce in his step. He didn't have the force, he thought. He was normal.


	41. Chapter 41

Finn had been complaining and grumbling for the last hour now. Poe, very kindly, bit his tongue and didn't snap at him, or tell him to shut up. He simply placated him, and agreed with him, crooning in with "You're so right." or "I know, right?!" every now and then. Finn was a bit of a sassy guy, Poe had come to find. Whenever he had disagreed with Finn about the planet, he would get sassed something fierce. So now Poe was only giving platitudes.

"Why would Dara come here…" Poe asked, as the sandy wastelands came into view. He had meant to be a rhetorical question.

"There was an awakening of the Force here." Finn said, staring blankly out at the desert. Poe glanced over briefly at the man, but instead concentrated on setting down just outside Niima Outpost. Nobody was going to steal the piece of crap that Poe was flying.

"Where did that come out of?" Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glaring out at the sand. It was barely visible in the darkness, but Poe supposed he knew it was there, and that's what made him glare.

"I dunno. Sounds like something old Luke Skywalker would say… Rey lived here." The pilot supposed his friend was right. The Force had had a presence here through its vessel, Rey. There had been an awakening of the Force here, as Finn had said. Poe was starting to wonder if that was what Dara was chasing. The Force. She had taken part of a Force Tree. She had come to the place where Rey's story as a Jedi had started. Where would she go next? What would she do here?

"So… Where do we start?" Finn asked, voicing Poe's thoughts perfectly. Poe was stumped. He gazed out at the still night. What was he meant to do now? How could he pick up her trail on this forsaken planet? BB-8 chimed to get its master's attention.

"What is it buddy?" The droid beeped and twittered frantically telling Poe that it knew where Rey lived. That it could take them there. Poe grinned from ear to ear at his little astromech. Finn looked between Poe and the droid.

"What? What did he say?"

"Whoa whoa whoa. Don't go gendering my droid! And BB-8 says they can take us to where Rey used to live. I'm certain we'll find something." Poe had a very good feeling about this. He felt like they were on the right track. Dara had been here, and he thought for certain she had gone to the place where Rey had lived. Finn looked hesitant. Poe understood. They were about to encroach on the personal space of Rey, Finn's girlfriend, and one of Poe's friends and former lovers. The wind went out of Poe's sails a little.

"We have to do it, don't we?" Finn said, in a small voice. Poe nodded.

"Maybe we can pick up some of the things that seem important. I'm sure she misses her stuff." Poe suggested, hoping to ease the feelings of wrongdoing they were both experiencing. Finn looked down at the little droid to give himself time to think. Encroaching on her personal space was probably crossing the line. But they had to find Dara. That was their mission. And she was in trouble. He hoped that one day he could earn Rey's forgiveness for having to do this.

"BB-8. Take us there." The little astromech bleeped then started to roll towards the door. Poe and Finn followed on, heading out into the chilly night. The small droid rolled over to a bulky land speeder that had no seat and had been hammered together out of scrap. The little droid said that this speeder had been Rey's. They would have to use it to get to her home. Poe hoisted himself up, and offered a hand down to Finn.

"Make sure you hold on. This thing looks like It has a kick."

Making their way across the desert on a speeder without a seat and with Finn clinging to him tightly, was perhaps a little bit uncomfortable and awkward. Having his arms around his waist, holding him tight. It made something squirm in Poe's stomach. BB-8 kept beeping directions at him. When they had finally arrived. Dread and fear filled Poe. An old abandoned AT-AT lay upon its side, partially covered in sand, slowly eroding away. It was a relic of terrifying age of oppression.

"She lived here?!" Finn's voice was just a little bit higher than normal, cracking from dryness. Poe knew immediately, looking at the ruin, that she had. BB-8 wouldn't lie. But there was more. Poe just knew. He could feel Rey here. He could see her sitting outside this wreck, staring up at the sky. Waiting. He closed his eyes for a second, and tried to focus.

"Come on." Poe took the first step and plunged into the gaping chasm of the long abandoned weapon. Rey had carved out a home for herself in the belly of the beast. Small bits and pieces salvaged from other downed ships and vehicles were clattered together to make all sorts of ornaments, tools, odds and ends. Poe's heart leapt up into his mouth when he saw an old Rebel Alliance helmet beneath a small, orange, woollen doll that Rey had obviously made herself. A layer of dust and sand coated the top of the helmet.

"BB-8, can you light things up for us buddy?" The little droid shone a bright light around the small abode. The small space was cluttered with all sorts of scrap that she may have been saving to make into something else. Poe didn't know how he felt snooping around in Rey's home, seeing how she lived. He was getting a very personal glimpse into her life.

"Do you think maybe we should take her back some of her stuff?" Poe suggested. He looked over his shoulder to see a very uncomfortable Finn. His eyes were taking in all the details. He stood stock still.

"Uh… Yeah. Rey would love to get this stuff back."

He left Finn to pick out the things he would like to give back to Rey. Poe searched around a little, wondering if there would be any indication, any clue of what Dara had been after. Where was she now? Was she still on Jakku? Poe pushed through the dusty objects of Rey's home, feeling incredibly sad for her. How had he managed to come into contact with two exceptionally unfortunate orphans this way? How had he become so embroiled? Something caught Poe's eye in the furthest reaches of the room. Something out of place. One single plant was growing, where the others were now simply corpses. A small plant in a pot completely free of sand and dust stood before a wall in which words had been scratched hastily.

 _"The Order is coming. The Knights want what I have, want me. Leave now and go back. They can't find the Temple. They can't hurt you again. Leave."_

Poe's breath caught in his throat.

"FINN!" he called. The man came clambering over objects to get to Poe.

"What?!" Poe pointed at the wall. He took a couple of takes to read it. "So that's it? Game over?" Poe stared at the wall and read over it again. Poe walked back through the collapsed AT-AT. He plucked up the small orange doll of a Rebel pilot. He considered it for a moment, holding it like a worry doll. Where would Dara go and how would she get there? He looked down at the small doll, and imagined Rey as a small child making this to comfort herself. He looked over at the helmet. Clearly Rey idolised the Rebel Alliance pilots. He wondered for a moment if that was what had drawn her to him? Now wasn't the time to be thinking about himself.

"We have a lead. This Temple. Luke would know about it, wouldn't he? We need to ask him."

"So we're going back to Coruscant?" Poe nodded, and squeezed the soft wool doll in his hand.

"Here take these. They meant a lot to her."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."


	42. Chapter 42

As they had been taking off from Jakku, they had once more seen ships of the First Order, hot on their heels. They had no way to know that this was a Resistance vessel. But Poe wondered how long it would take them to figure it out. As they had silently sailed past the very shiny ships, fear had clutched at his stomach. How had the First Order gotten the information that Dara had come here? Was his dad okay? He was very tempted to go back to Yavin 4 and make sure his dad was still alive, still there. But there was no time to lose. Poe was now in a race with Kylo Ren. The knights she had said. The knights. Did she mean the dreaded Knights of Ren? If so, Dara had really bitten off more than she could chew. There was no way she could do this alone. They needed to get to Coruscant and ask Luke about this Temple that Dara was talking about. Finn sat clutching a bag of Rey's things. He had not moved from the spot beside Poe since they had taken off. They were nearing Coruscant after a flight of many hours. Poe was worried about him, but he had things he needed to think about. He was trying to reflect upon himself. Did he have the Force? He tried to tell himself no, he did not have it. He had tried to move that toothbrush that time, and it hadn't worked. But in the back of his mind, the sound of something clattering into the sink once he'd left the room echoed. The image of that toothbrush lying in the sink that night when he had gone to use it again. He ignored what was going on in the back of his mind and turned his thoughts instead to all those good feelings he had about people and places. When he met people he often got a good feeling about them. In some cases a bad feeling. Was that supposed to be some branch of the Force? That sounded ridiculous. What about his abilities as a pilot? He point blank refused to believe that that was the Force. He had learned to fly in his mother's A-wing. He crashed the damn thing a couple of times. And as for shooting things out of the sky, that had taken practice in flight school. He had worked his round little ass off to get as far as he did in the Republic Navy.

With a smile he recalled a few years after he had defected to the Resistance, running into his old commanding officer. She had stood up, and yelled at him, asking where he had gone. Poe had shrugged his shoulders and said he'd slept in. He'd never seen anyone more blusteringly furious. He was a smart mouthed son-of-a-gun. But he remembered when he hadn't been an ace-pilot. He hadn't had some easy route to being the Best Pilot in the Resistance. He had worked for that honour. He had honed his potential. His hard work. The universe hadn't made him what he was, he had. There was no way some dumb magic tree could have made him into something he was not. The universe could shove its force up its bum for all he cared. Poe Dameron didn't want it.

"This is Foxtrot 349 requesting docking space in Old Town." Poe said, as they approached the planet of Coruscant. Old Town used to house the old Jedi temple and libraries. He imagined if Luke and Rey were anywhere on this planet, they would be there.

"Foxtrot 349, starship class Felix, Registered to Leia Organa. Proceed to docking Bay 43E." came the cold, automated voice. They only wanted legitimate ships docking on their fair, city planet. Not that they could stop the dregs of society coming here regardless.

"You looking forward to seeing her again?" Poe asked, as he broke the atmosphere revealing the rolling skyscrapers and green, manicured parks. Finn was staring out at the massive planet with a blank look on his face.

"Yeah." He sounded unsure.

"What's wrong?" There was silence for a second.

"She's this big, impressive Jedi. And I'm just… Me." Poe was struck by the starkness of that comment. He was in the same position as Finn, in love with a woman with great power. He hadn't seen much of Rey, but she had resisted Kylo Ren. Had fought him without a second of training on her part. Poe thought perhaps that she was an incredibly powerful woman.

"Listen… At the end of the day, Finn. She's still a person. She's still Rey. She's that girl you met on Jakku. She's still a woman underneath all that power." Poe didn't know who he was talking to now. Dara was still that girl he had met at the bar. Dara was a living breathing woman with faults and flaws, and greatness within her. And she was alone and scared right now. She thought she could do this alone, and she probably could. But she didn't have to do this alone. She had people who cared, who were willing to fight for her tooth and nail. She had the Best Pilot of the Resistance on her side. They approached the planetary co-ordinates of Old Town. They saw a large old-looking building stretching up into the sky and sprawling across more land than Poe would have thought that it should have. Craters and gaping holes marred the beautiful structure, making it a ruin, rather than a splendour. Some of the coloured windows were intact, displaying incredible patterns and pictures. Others were smashed, leaving gaping maws with jagged teeth. The building was a lot bigger than he had anticipated. How were they meant to find two people in all of this? He set down in the relatively abandoned hangar, leaving their ship with BB-8 in tow. The small droid babbled excitedly at how huge the place was. As far as droids went, BB-8 was a talkative one. Rubble littered the ground as they drew closer to the actual temple. Plants grew up and broke the masonry blocks, leaving things cracked and producing yet more rubble.

"This place gives me the creeps…" Finn said, supressing a shiver, still clutching the bag of Rey's possessions in his arms. Poe disagreed. There was a beauty to the decay of the building. The original structure must have been truly impressive, with strong lines, and a distinctive mixed media. There was power in the place, he felt. Whether that was power he could draw upon or not, he doubted. He didn't have the Force. While he marvelled at the beauty of the place, he also recognised the great sorrow of its history. One of Anakin Skywalker's first acts as the scourge of the galaxy had been to cull the young jedi padawan who trained here. The blood of children of all races washed these marbled floors. He decided that Finn was right. This place was creepy.

Standing before the large wooden doors that had been battered and pulled from their hinges, was a man-height stone monument. Poe craned his neck to look up at the top of the stone, which was a couple of inches above him.

"Remember the life that once filled these hallowed halls." A shiver ran down Poe's spine, as though he could hear the voices of all the people who had passed through this temple. Of course he heard nothing. But the simple statement was powerful. He wondered who could have possibly erected this monument? Who had been left after the massacre? He supposed it may have been the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi. That was a powerful name that evoked yet another shiver down Poe's spine.

"So what…? Do we go in or…?" Poe looked over at Finn.

"Who elected me as the leader of this outfit? What do you think we should do?" Finn bit his lip, which made adrenaline surge through Poe's veins.

"We go in." Finn said, his voice steady and confident. The pilot stared at his lips for a second more, then nodded agreement, and made for the dark, gaping chasm that lay behind the broken doors.


	43. Chapter 43

The dark chasm they entered groaned with the wind, a morbid whistling accompanying them as they walked through a once glorious entrance hall. The place was decaying and falling apart. As though unbeknownst to him, Finn clutched for Poe's hand. He held it tight in his grip, taking comfort from human contact and his mere presence. There was something about Poe that just made him feel at ease. He was the charming, cock-sure pilot who had seen the world. From Finn's narrow experience, he thought that there wasn't a situation Poe couldn't handle with ease and a crooked grin. Poe glanced over at Finn, his brow furrowed, but he gave Finn's hand a squeeze, non-the-less, and held it without comment or complaint. They walked slowly, together, into the belly of the entrance hall. The ceiling stretched up into the very heavens, held aloft by marble and glass columns that were far too thin, in Finn's opinion, to hold up a roof. Their footsteps echoed, disturbing a nest of birds, who squawked at them in annoyance, making Finn jump. Poe held his hand a little tighter for just a moment, as though he too had been startled. The pilot had much more composure than him. Finn thought there was something graceful about Poe. He moved with such confidence. Finn greatly envied him that. He felt club-footed by comparison. Sure, Poe was cocky, but he had the goods to back it up. He really was the Best Pilot in the Resistance. Part of him felt that Poe had started his life. In a glorious blaze of light, he had come into Finn's life and changed it forever.

"Just some birds. It's fine." Poe said, in what could be described as a soothing tone. They stood together and stared all around them, their eyes being drawn to the crumbling glass ceiling.

"This place must have been a real beauty back in its day." Poe said, his eyes being drawn back down to Finn. They stared at each other in the pale light, the moment seeming to last an eternity.

"Whatcha doin?" came a small voice. A child. Poe stared around him, eyes alert, and his body coiled like a spring, as though he was ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Finn saw the child immediately. Perched on the top of a statue of a tall Jedi, who glared down at the pair of them, was a small girl. She had carrot-coloured hair tied back in three bunches. _Just like Rey's_. he thought. Finn pointed her out to Poe, who seemed to relax instantly. He let go of Finn's hand, much to Finn's regret.

"Well hey." His voice was friendly, and Finn could hear the smile in the other man's voice. "We're looking for our friends Luke and Rey. Do you know where they are?" The little girl tilted her head and stared at the pair of them with big green eyes. The girl clambered upright on top of the Jedi statue's head, then jumped from the great height. Finn's eyes widened, and he made to run forward to try to catch the child. Surely, all her bones would shatter? But she landed lightly on the balls of her feet. She skipped over to the two men, and stared up at Poe with big eyes. He smiled, his eyes crinkling, as he hunkered down to talk to the girl.

"I like your hair. Did Rey help you?" The little girl stuck a finger into her mouth, suddenly seeming shy. She nodded slowly, still staring up at Poe.

"Well my name is Poe, and this is Finn. We have some of Rey's stuff, and we want to give it back to her. We're not Jedi like she is, but we're all best friends. Do you know where she is?" Finn was amazed by the way Poe was speaking to the child. The little girl nodded and pointed back behind her. He had a way with children it seemed.

"She's with master Luke and the other padawanses." the little girl said, with the tiniest of lisps. Poe stood up and glanced at Finn. Other padawanses? What was a Padawanses? Finn was utterly confused.

"Could you, uh… Take us there?" Finn said, trying to mimic Poe's friendly voice. The little girl giggled and looked at him.

"You're silly. Sure. Come on!" She skipped on ahead of them, and guided them back through the large Temple. She was completely unmoved by her decaying surroundings. The small child just looked all the smaller for being in such a monumental setting. As she drew them in further through the temple, voices started to become more audible. A man's voice. It had to be Luke. The girl skipped into a comfortable looking room with several tiers and a plethora of soft cushions. Luke sat in the centre of the room, with a group of children sitting facing him, Rey amongst them, keeping them quiet. He spoke to them about some sort of Force something or other.

Finn's eyes were drawn straight to Rey, her eyes rapt on her teacher, taking in every word he said. He could almost see the gears turning behind her intelligent eyes. Her youthful face always seemed to be full of determination. The little girl stopped skipping, and bowed to Luke who had stopped speaking, to look up at the child and her companions.

"Cecily! I told you not to run off on your own." Rey spoke with gentle tones of concern, then her eyes moved up to see who had come in with the girl. Rey's eyes locked with Finn's. He felt his heart thumping in his chest, and he clutched the bag of her belongings closer. Would she be really mad at him? The corners of her lips turned upwards, as she slowly got to her feet. Finn almost forgot that there were other people in the room. Ever since he had met her on Jakku, Rey had been like a burning glorious sun that blinded him somewhat to the world around him. He only remembered there was a room full of children and a master Jedi before him when Luke spoke again.

"Okay, settle down! It's just Finn and Poe. Nothing special. Practice your force push on the cushions. NOT ON EACH OTHER! COYLA PUT HIM DOWN AT ONCE!" Finn heard Poe chuckle beside him as he watched a small Togruta girl lift a human boy up into the air by the ankle. Rey chose that moment to make her way over to the pair of men. She threw her arms around Finn.

"It's so good to see you!" she said quietly, into his ear. He held her all the closer for but a moment. She stood back and smiled softly at him. "Hey Poe. Good job bringing him back alive. No luck with Dara?" There was great kindness in her voice. Poe shrugged and shook his head.

"We got a bit of a lead, maybe, but it's like trying to catch dust on the wind." Rey frowned in sympathy and concern.

"She doesn't want to be found." Her voice was gently and consoling. Finn thought Poe needed it. He could tell how worried he was about Dara. He had met Dara. He doubted she was the sort of woman who needed worrying about. Poe had a way of picking people, he supposed.

Luke had finally calmed the children and set them to purpose. Finn could honestly say he looked a lot happier and healthier than the last time he had seen Luke. Teaching suited him, he decided.

"You need to speak to me." Luke said. There was kindness in his voice. Finn got a completely different impression of him now. He was wise, and fatherly. Finn felt a great deal more at ease around him.

"I do. I lost her. But she left me a note." Poe said. There was such absolute pain in his voice that was barely masked by his matter-of-fact tone. _I lost her_. Finn didn't think he had ever heard words of such defeat escape from the pilot's lips. Luke regarded the short man for a time.

"Well we'd best get to talking and find her."


	44. Chapter 44

Rey was clutching the old Rebel Alliance helmet to her chest, speaking soft words to Finn. He thought perhaps there were tears in her eyes, but he couldn't tell. He was too far away. Poe brought his attention back to Luke, who was reading over the letter, his happy face having dissolved into graveness and worry. Luke's hand shook. He suddenly looked his age. He wasn't a powerhouse who could floor anyone in his way in seconds. He was frail and old, and he had the weight of a world on his shoulders.

"I can't believe this…" he muttered. Poe looked at the older man again, his eyes having strayed to the happy couple in the distance again.

"Can't believe what?" Luke dropped his hand, the note still clenched in his mechanical fingers, and closed his eyes.

"I didn't think I ever spoke of it in front of her. I made sure not to! How does she know about it?" Poe could see the potential that Luke might be building up into a rage, but unexpectedly, he opened his eyes and he appeared to be perfectly calm. He had never seen behaviour like it. He supposed this was the legendary control of the Jedi. "I need to speak with my sister. You know the frequencies, Dameron. I need your help." His voice was calm and measured. He didn't plead, but his request was polite. Of course Poe would help. If Dara hadn't been involved he would have helped, anyway.

"Of course. Lead the way." Poe shot one last fleeting glance at Rey and Finn who were sitting down on a stone plinth holding hands, and talking. He clenched his own hand, the one Finn had grabbed earlier. He could still feel the sensation, even now. He cursed himself and started walking.

As they twisted through the bowels of the old Jedi temple, Poe reflected on his life. Duty always seemed to have gotten in the way of his happiness. He missed out on so much because he had to be dutiful. Every relationship he had suffered for the greater good. His last serious relationship had ended very badly because he had defected to the Resistance. He had had his heart broken. He'd been cheated on, dumped, and his ex had spread rumours about him. Turned out his last boyfriend was petty. Pettier than Poe had ever known. He hadn't spent time with his father in years. He didn't really know how he was doing. If he was sick, or struggling, Poe wouldn't know. His father would never own up to that. He'd never worry his son. And now with Dara. If he hadn't been undercover he could have stopped her leaving. She wouldn't be alone right now, chasing something that seemed unattainable. He could have gone with her at the very least. But she was alone in a big galaxy, with scary people chasing her, and nobody seemed to know where she was. By serving the greater good he was letting everyone that mattered to him down. As he walked through the cratered ruin, he felt he had a lot in common with it. He felt that there were chunks missing from him.

"You'll find her. Don't worry." Luke said. Poe blinked and looked over at the older man. There was kindness in his eyes. Poe thought that teaching suited Luke. It allowed him to be a nurturing person. That kindness was a much better look than the hardness he had seen the first time they had met. "I know where she's gone. I have to tell Leia. But I know where she is bound." Poe's heart quickened. Maybe there was hope yet. He would find her. Help her. Know that she was safe.

"She's a strong woman. She can take care of herself." Poe saw the massive comm room up ahead. Their twisting journey was almost at an end.

"You love her." Poe stopped short, Luke taking a couple more steps, before he turned to look at the pilot. "It's as clear as the sun on a Summer morning, that you're in love with my niece. Now whether she feels the same way or not, I don't know." Poe felt blind panic. Would he react badly to this? Would he tell the General?

"I think she did. At least… The last time I saw her…" Luke waved a hand, smiled mischievously, and walked on. Poe recognised that smile in a heartbeat. Dara would get the very same smile when she was up to something, or poking fun at him. Poe took a breath and followed him into the comm room. He set up the correct frequencies, and after much fiddling with the ancient system, (similar to what the Resistance had actually) he established contact with the Resistance Base.

"General Organa, this is Commander Poe Dameron. I'm here with… uh. Your brother, ma'am." Luke stepped forward, and the life sized hologram of the General looked concerned and surprised.

"Luke. You succeeded then. You set up your temple." She sounded pleased enough, but she was still concerned, her eyes darting to look at Poe repeatedly.

"I need to know if you told Dara about the Temple. The First Temple." The General staggered.

"She hasn't…"

"She has."

"I never mentioned it to anyone. She didn't get it from me." Poe felt an increase of worry.

"Where has she gone? What's the First Temple? I thought you went to find that?" Luke looked over at the pilot, his brow furrowed.

"I did. But I couldn't open it."

"The first Jedi were all like Dara. They were all Tempest, as they came to be known." Poe stared at the flickering image of the General and there was silence. The General twisted her hands in worry.

"The Tempest were greatly powerful, but the Force weakened in the Jedi over time. The last Tempest before Dara would have been around hundreds of years ago. They had died out. They were only spoken of as legend amongst the Jedi order." Luke remained silent as his sister explained all of this to Poe. He looked drawn, and very white all of a sudden. "My father, Anakin Skywalker was a powerful Jedi. He was prophesised to be the one to bring balance to the Force. We all know how that story went, but since my father, the Force has been getting stronger in our family line. Luke and I think… That Jedi were forbidden to have children to stop the existence of the powerful Tempest Jedi. Luke is stronger than his father ever was… and my children… Stronger again. But Dara. She is Tempest. She has forbidden power. Our greatest concern when she was young was that she would be more easily swayed to the dark side… But I failed my son while trying to protect my daughter…"

Poe had never had such a personal conversation with the General. He wondered why he was being given this information. He noticed that he had broken out into a cold sweat. It was probably connected to the claws of dread that sunk into his stomach.

"Leia, it was my fault. I knew Snoke was trying to influence my Padawans. I should have stopped it. I should have taken a gentler hand with Ben. OR a firmer hand. I just… I should have done something difference." There was silence again. It was clear that both of them blamed themselves for Ben Solo becoming the new scourge of the galaxy. But they certainly didn't blame each other. It appeared Leia would say no more, so Luke took up their tale. Poe started to feel quite unwell. He knew something bad was coming. He could sense it.

"After… After I went off the grid, I went in search of the First Jedi Temple. Ancient and obscure. I needed to know how Snoke became so powerful. But when I found it, I couldn't gain access. I wasn't powerful enough. The Force runs strong in my family. I have it. My sister has it. My niece and nephew has it. But my niece is the only Jedi that matters to that Temple. She's the only one who can go inside. She's the only one who can make the sacrifice." Poe was nearly sick at the word sacrifice. The General looked extremely distraught. He had seen her face shortly after Han had been killed. There was a similar grief to her face now. This had to be absolutely terrible.

"The… The sacrifice?" Poe's voice cracked, and he licked his lips. He found that his heart was thundering and his head was pounding. He could hear the sound of blood rushing in his ears. Luke looked very sad and reluctant.

"She must sacrifice emotion. She will never feel again. She will be the true Grey Jedi in exchange for access to all the Force has to offer her." Poe exhaled sharply and felt as though his heart stopped beating.


	45. Chapter 45

Finn and Rey were clearly having a heart to heart when Poe got back. But the joy he had felt at seeing them happy together was dead to him. He felt like the world had turned to grey. He felt like he had suddenly been devoid of emotion. That was why she didn't want him to go with her. This was to be the end of them. If she had no emotion anymore, she would feel nothing for him. She was trying to spare him. Like a fool, he had fallen in love with her. But he knew the legends about Jedi. Knew the stories. Jedi were not allowed to love. Because of sacrifices like this. They would always choose the galaxy first. And he could not fault her for that. Would he not do the same if it came down to it? A tight lump in his throat stopped him from considering that question any further. In his heart he knew that no, he wouldn't put the galaxy first. She was his priority. He was crazily in love with her. But he didn't expect the same from her. He didn't want that. She was important and powerful, and he was proud of her. But he wished that there was some other way.

He continued to look at Rey and Finn laughing quietly, and he felt a terrible aching in his heart. He could not take Finn away from this happiness. He couldn't think that this would end up the same way as he and Dara. Even just thinking her name brought a stinging to his eyes. He decided he would leave Finn here. Finn, very bravely would insist on coming with Poe if he told him that he was being left behind. Poe took one last look at their happiness and slunk away, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. Before he got too far out of the Temple, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"You can't get away that easily." It was Rey. Poe turned to face her. There was warmth in her eyes as always. Finn sat a ways off, trying not to look obvious in the way he was staring at them both. He thought he was sweet for trying. "Poe, why don't you ever talk to somebody?" There was real care in her voice. Poe thought he would just come completely undone. He thought his stiff upperr lip routine would crumble at these kind words from the young woman. He could feel his resolve waver. "You don't have to be alone all the time." That brought him down at last. He threw his arms around Rey, who held him close and rubbed his back. He didn't cry, or shake, but in that one embrace, he felt some of the sorrow and worry he'd been holding in pouring out of him.

"She's run away to be a big goddam hero. She'll never feel emotion again if she does this thing." He didn't know if he was making sense. His words sounded slow and garbled to him.

"You're going to catch her. And Finn is going to help you. I think Master Luke will let me go too. We're your people, Poe. You're not going there on your own." There was such fierce determination in her voice that he felt he didn't have it in him to argue. She held him at arms-length, and felt like a younger man again. A young and scared man. Rey had obviously opted to do the pep-talk, but he knew these words of kindness were coming from Finn as much as they came from Rey. At least the sentiment did.

"You guys are really good friends." was all Poe could think to say. Rey gave him a small smile. She took his arm in a firm but gentle grip, and guided him back towards Finn. "Explain it all to us." Finn patted Poe's shoulder awkwardly when he sat down. Poe nodded his thanks and appreciation to the man before he launched into his tale.

Dara was dressed all in white. It was quite a stark change from her usual drapes of black, but it was an advantage here. Yavin 8. So close to where she had been born. So close to where it had all begun. She would be perfectly camouflaged in the snowy plains dressed like this.

"Chewie… You should stay here." The wookie protested loudly, throwing up his arms. He was a dramatic furball. He always had been. Chewbacca sat watching something on that entertainment thing in the Millenium Falcon's passenger hold. "I'll be fine, I promise. I just need to do this on my own." He protested some more, complaining that he was her uncle, and he had to take care of her. He wasn't going to lose anybody else. She felt a little bad at that. Chewie had been her dad's best friend for a long time. He had helped to raise her and Ben. He was very much a part of the Solo-Organa family, and he had suffered all of their traumas. "I'm going to come back." she said _. But I won't be me anymore…_ She swallowed back tears for what she was about to do. The wookie bleated one last time. "I love you too." she said, her voice cracking with despair.

Stepping out into the harsh winds, she pulled a scarf up around her face. Her hair whipped wildly. That would be impossible to untangle _. That's future Dara's problem_. she thought. She nearly laughed. Future Dara wouldn't care. She could see the massive temple in the distance. Sand drifts had pushed up against the monumental walls. She thought that it was a miracle that it wasn't covered over entirely. She clutched the branch of the Force tree taken from that man's garden on Yavin 4. He must have been Shera Bey's husband. In her other hand she held the face mask she had found in Rey's home. The Force had been strongest around this object. Rey was powerful, different from how Dara was powerful, but she had power that Jedi like Luke didn't have. She must have something of the Old Force within her. The ritual would take some time. It was a miracle she came upon the information at all. An errant thought from her mother had escaped about this Temple, and Dara had researched furiously. That had been why she had left for Coruscant. Where she left the note for Poe, who would surely follow her trail. The wind howled ferociously. Even without its help she would have had tears streaming down her face, freezing on her skin and in her eyelashes. Sweet Poe. Her heart was broken that she must leave him like this. Without a goodbye. Without an explanation. But if she tried to say goodbye, he would beg her not to do what she was going to, and then she would never have done it. Poe had power over her. Too much power to allow her to do what was necessary. She could never have coped with having to see the pain in his sweet doe eyes. Dara pushed on through the snow blasts, gritting her teeth against the cold. She knew he wouldn't stop. He would find out where she was going somehow. Probably by asking Uncle Luke about the Temple she mentioned. She wondered even now why she had written that. Some part of her wanted to see him again. Wanted him to stop her.

It took her hours to walk to the temple. They couldn't fly the Falcon in any closer. Dara felt the strength of the place pulsing from space. So she walked through the maelstrom, freezing her buns off. When she at last reached the temple, the winds and snows died down. The area around the temple entrance felt warmer. She relished in the relief. So much so that she didn't see the figure all in black standing before her, staring silently. She jumped. Masked and helmeted. It was a Knight of the First Order. She felt faint. Was it Ben? She looked them over. The Knight was too short to be Ben. Too slender. There was something feminine about the curve of this person's body. They were the same height and build as herself.

"Who are you?!" She called, dropping the branch of the tree and the mask to clutch for her lightsabre. The person walked forward with a familiar step. She took the helmet from her head, releasing a fall of long white hair. Her own hazel eyes stared back at her. "What is this?!" she yelled, as though she actually expected someone to answer.

"Light side and Dark side meet in the middle to create the truly Grey one. You must embrace me. Your Dark Side." It was her voice that spoke, but it was not from her lips. A wicked smile curved the lips on the face staring back at her. Evil Dara looked different. She had no scar. Her hair was longer and wilder, her skin paler, her eyes brighter. She looked malicious.


	46. Chapter 46

The alternate version of herself rolled her eyes.

"Stop gawking. Fuck you are boring. Come on. We need to go in." The darker Dara stalked up the ancient, smooth steps in a swirl of dark colours. Dara could only stare after her for a moment. She was everything Dara could ever be. She was sure her brother would say this was Dara at her full potential. She rolled her own eyes and jogged to catch up with the apparition. The steps were steep and left her winded. At least the wind was gone. She was starting to get feeling back into her cheeks. The other Dara stood stock still in front of the doors. Did Dara really look like that from behind? Like a statue… with a stick up its butt? She sighed and walked up the final step to stand next to her in front of the heavy stone doors.

"I assume you know what to do here?" the other one drawled. She examined her long, perfect nails that were scrubbed and freshly manicured. Dara looked at her own filthy, broken nails and felt the stab of envy. Dara kneeled before the massive pair of doors and laid the branch and the mask before her. She tore down that wall of control she had built to keep the Force at bay within herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the familiar sight of Obi Wan Kenobi, a Jedi master who spoke to her on many occasions. He paced back and forth just within her field of vision. Out of her other eye, she saw her other self, lounging lazily against a column. Dara felt the Force all around her and within her. It was terrifying, the vastness of it all. The fear and the way in which she drew away from it allowed her to live a normal life. Well.. Normal-ish.

Dara took a steadying breath and focused her attention on the doors. She pushed against them with all her might.

"I am here." she said. "Let me in!" Her voice took on the tone she adopted when she was playing the part of monarch.

"Cool it, prissy face. The doors are opening." Dara clutched the branch of the Force tree in her fist so tightly, that it pierced her skin. But she looked up, and was shocked to see those massive monolith doors swinging inwards silently. She let the branch and the mask that had once belonged to Rey go. She looked over at Obi Wan. He frowned down at her, but he said nothing. She could feel the disapproval rolling off of him. She got to her feet, with a little difficulty. "Are you getting old or something? Move your bones. Come on." She was starting to get very tired of her snarky alternate self. She clenched her teeth and drew in a sharp breath, praying for some patience. She followed the other Dara slowly, who seemed to share her faltering steps. She was scared. Dara felt the claws of fear in her stomach too. She knew what she was going in here to do, but she didn't know what she would face. She pushed the fear away and decided she had to be brave. The galaxy needed her to do this. So she could be strong enough to cut the head off the snake. The dark chasm was illuminated suddenly by a ghostly green light in the distance that travelled towards them at some speed. Dara was glued to the spot. She let out a strangled scream when it came close enough to hitting her. It stopped short, however. For a second the other version of herself flickered out of view. She was the only real person here. She needed to remember that. She was actually all alone in this big temple. The other Dara was just part of a test. And Obi Wan was dead. He was part of the Force now.

They walked together deeper into the bowels of the massive stone structure, the small green light guiding their way. Obi Wan was a silent companion. He would not offer his council here. He was simply being there. He was witnessing her. She couldn't see what lay beyond the shadows. She was scared to step out of the light. They were passing a doorway that led into another room, when she heard it. The voice. It was familiar but so quiet.

"If you step out of the light and go fully into darkness, you become me. Fair warning. Just saying." Her eyes snapped to the Dark-side version of herself. She gazed back at her with nonchalance. Was she lying to her? She wasn't even real. She couldn't afford to chance it. The voice she heard was so familiar. What was it saying?

 _"Dara…"_ That sent a shiver down her spine. She turned to the voice. The light was moving forward very slowly. It was her mother's voice. No. Her mother wasn't here. Her mother was back on base.

"Nice try." she said with a smirk.

"Ooh, she's getting smart now. How… dull." She could have stuck the other woman. If she were real. Dara walked forward slowly, keeping pace with the light. It wasn't long until she heard more voices calling out to her. But she knew what this temple was about now. She knew that to forsake the Light side of the Force she would have to leave behind all the people she loved. This was a journey of sorts. The bored and Dark Dara strolled along beside her, whilst Obi Wan maintained his presence, like a vigil. She supposed he was the epitome of the Light side. It was only appropriate that he be here.

She brushed a cob-web from her smooth, cold face as they plunged into what appeared to be the oldest part of the Temple yet. Then she heard him scream in pain.

"DAAAAARAAAAAA! HELP ME! PLEASE!" A long strangled scream came afterwards. She went cold all over and broke out into a sweat. Her heart thumped in her chest, and her breaths did not come so easily now. Just out of the light, outside her field of vision, screamed the voice of her beloved pilot. Poe. The man she loved. She stopped short, her feet nearly tripping over themselves. "No… no… NOOOOOOOOO STOP IT PLEASE!" She felt as though she was going to be sick. She took one step towards the darkness, away from the light.

"Who's that? Your girlfriend? She sounds like a real wimp. I'd love to torture her myself. Then I'd really make her scream." Dara turned on her heel and stared at her alternate self, who was casually examining her own fingernails. She could feel her own eyes growing wide in fury at that cavalier statement. She made a run at the other woman, drawing back her fist, but she simply staggered through thin air. Of course. She wasn't really there. She was in Dara's head.

"Now if you're quite done being a sensitive little bitch, we can get a move on." The other Dara stalked after the small green light. Dara took one look back to the place where she had last heard Poe's voice. That would be the last time she heard him and felt anything at all.

She jogged after the light, and nearly walked into someone. She looked up at the one of the only people who had ever been taller than her. His grey hair and slightly wrinkled face smiled down at her. His scent was familiar. Engine oil and tobacco. Her heart skipped a beat and she threw her arms around him without a second's hesitation.

"Hey Captain." he said, and to her surprise, her arms connected with real living breathing flesh.

"Dad…" she gasped. Tears spilled from her eyes, and her arms tightened around his neck. She felt very much like a little girl all over again.

"Listen, sweety, you don't need to do this. You're plenty powerful on your own. It's not muscle that's gonna win this thing. It's brains. Use your smarts." It was Han Solo's voice. Was it really him, or was the temple tricking her? She would have given anything to see him one last time, and here he was. But she couldn't be sure of him. The eerie green light had stopped moving. It had become a more hearty gold colour. It wavered in the air before a large oak tree, that had luminous acorns that cast glittering light all over the room. She gazed up at it with wide eyes. "You don't need no damn tree, Captain. You're Dara Solo! You can beat anything. You're my little girl. I know you can do anything." She looked back at her dad, and saw those kindly eyes she had been seeing all her life. Dara had been blessed with the best father in the galaxy. She would fight anyone who said otherwise.

Dara felt tears streaming down her face. She stepped back from her father and drank as much of him in as she could. She knew he would not stay here forever.

"Are you really here, or are you just a trick?" her voice trembled, but she had to know. Her alternate self, blessedly, remained silent.

"I'm here honey. I'm really here. I can't stay for long, but I can't let you do this."

"Dara Solo." Another voice spoke her name. A voice she had never heard before. Her father, walked away from her towards the tree, where he sat under the boughs, his eyes on her. She tore her eyes away to stare at the short woman who stood next to a tall man. The woman was beautiful and delicate. She knew her face as well as she knew her own.

"Queen Amidala…" she breathed. Her grandmother, and one of her heroes. The man beside her was someone she did not quite know, but somehow she knew him to be her grandfather. The man Ben prayed to. Anakin Skywalker.

"Think of your people, my child. They need their Princess. They cannot afford to lose you. You can be strong without this stolen power. You do not need to sacrifice who you are for victory."

"Temptation from powers beyond you is the path to the Dark Side. Do not fall as I fell. Do not fall as Ben has fallen. You are Tempest. You are strong enough. Remember who you are and what you can be." Anakin looked pained and contrite as he spoke. He was young. As young as he had been when he had become Darth Vader and been installed inside that suit. The sight of him scared her. He looked as normal as she did, but she knew what he had become. If ever there had been a cautionary tale…

The darker version of herself seemed to flinch away from the ghosts who seemed to come from the tree of power. But she bolstered herself and stepped in front of Dara.

"You need to decide what the fuck you're doing. You came here for power. For the Greater Good. You can become me. Be powerful in the dark secrets of the Force. You can remain as you are and struggle as you have been doing since you failed to learn to tie your own shoe laces. Or we can meet each other halfway, and all the power of the Force can be ours. Your choice. Bad bitch. Boring bitch. Or powerful bitch." Her alternate self was so grating, but she was right. There was a choice to be made, but she didn't know what she wanted anymore. She looked at her dad again. He didn't want her to do this. Could she ever bring herself to do something he didn't want for her? She had always been his little girl. She couldn't let him down, not even now.

"Choose wisely, young one." Obi Wan's voice came in a very quiet wave that washed over her. He had been a man of few words to her. But what he said was always wise and poignant. She stared at the tree, all the people under it, and then back to her alternate self. Her last thoughts before she acted, were of Poe.


	47. Chapter 47

Yavin 8, of all the places. Poe brought their ship down into the icy snow at the co-ordinates that Luke had given him. There was another vessel nearby. Apparently there was an impenetrable all around this temple that no ship could get through. He stared out at the snow in disbelief. He had been living just a few moons away on Yavin 4. He had been back there recently. He could have just gone straight there. He never would have known that the oldest Jedi temple in the galaxy was so close to his stomping ground. Poe powered down the engines, staring out at the freighter class vessel that was a little bit away from them. He was hard set to see the ship through the icy blizzard.

"I'm pretty sure that's the Millenium Falcon!" Poe called out. Rey would know, she'd flown it. He felt a pang of jealousy build up alongside his excitement at seeing the legendary ship. He didn't care what anyone said, he knew that this was the ship that had done the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs. 14 was just an insult tacked on to the myth. He took a second for the fact that Dara was Han Solo's daughter to really sink in. Another one of his heroes. An absolutely amazing pilot.

He swivelled out of his chair, and jogged back into their small ship to tell the others what the plan was. He needed to check out that ship, to see if she was on it. Finn stared past Poe out the large window at all the ice and snow. He looked less than pleased. Poe had to agree. He hated the cold. It just made him sad, and irritable.

"Did you say the Millenium Falcon is out there?!" Rey looked at him with big eyes. He nodded.

"Yeah. Banked up ahead. We should check it out. Make sure she's not there before we wander off into the snow." Poe knew he was making perfect sense, so nobody questioned him. "Wrap yourselves up as warm as possible. It's a blizzard out there." He frowned as he pulled a thick quilted coat on, lined with fur. He pulled on a pair of thick mittens and looked around for some blasters. He was going to pack a bit heavier than usual. He had a feeling they would need some firepower. He felt fear. This was an ancient place. Many things were drawn here, he thought. Much depended on it.

The other two were covered up just as intensely as Poe. He nodded his approval. He really didn't want anyone losing fingers to hyperthermia. He handed out blasters and bent down to have a quick chat with BB-8.

"Are you sure about this?" The little droid protested yet again, and demanded that it not be left behind. "Okay, okay! But if you freeze your circuits off, don't come crying to me!" He opened the door and stepped out into the snow, leading their cold and dreary band. The wind was howling, blowing ice into his face. It felt like shards of glass piercing his skin. He pulled up a scarf and threw his shoulder into the wind, heading towards the barely visible Millennium Falcon. He cast his eyes up to the sky. The clouds were almost black. This snow-storm was only going to get worse. He would endure worse for Dara. Reaching the Falcon was a difficult task, but after five minutes they managed it. Getting in out of the storm was a massive relief. Despite the short amount of time they had been outside, they were soaked and shivering. Finn and Rey were complaining loudly about how terrible the weather was. Poe held up a hand and silenced them. He raised his blaster and walked slowly through the ship, checking every corridor. Just because they knew the ship, didn't mean they knew whoever was on it. Rey and Finn followed slowly, Finn with his blaster at the ready, just a bit behind Poe, and at any junction at his side. It was always nice to have another soldier to watch his back.

Poe rounded a corner and found a gun pointing straight into his face. He took a step back and put his hands up.  
"Whoa! Easy there." He looked past the gun, a bowcaster. He saw copious amounts of fur. "Chewbacca! So that's how she got here. Is she still here?" Rey and Finn behind him audibly relaxed. The wookie lowered his weapon and bleated at him. He complained loudly about how they had scared him half to death and how he thought he was being robbed. Poe resisted the urge to roll his eyeballs.

"Listen, Chewbacca, Dara has gone to the First Temple of the Jedi, but we need to stop her. She's going to sacrifice all her emotion. She won't be the same person. Is she gone, and how long ago did she leave?" Chewbacca roared and bleated in anger and worry. Dara mustn't have told him. The poor Wookie. Poe reached up and patted him on the shoulder. He had to stretch up on his tiptoes to comfort him. "Well we need to find her. We need to stop her. You gonna help us?" Chewie agreed emphatically. The search party for Dara was just getting bigger _. More eyes the better…_ Poe thought. If the General and Luke could be here, he knew they would be. She had people who cared about her. He only wished that she could see them all there, rallying for her. He hoped they weren't too late.

Poe knew there was something wrong. The second they came within sight of the temple, he could tell that they weren't the only ones there. Poe gripped the blaster as tightly as he could and slowed his pace, hunkering down a little bit. There was no point in walking straight into a trap. He stopped them all with a swift hand signal. He pulled out a pair of binoculars. Looking into the distance, he felt like his heart had stopped cold for a second.

"First Order…" he said, through gritted teeth. He zoomed in, following a pacing figure in a black robe. He broke out into a cold sweat. "Dammit! We're too late." He stood up stuffing the binoculars away. What were they meant to do now? Dara was definitely holed up in that Temple, doing who knows what. And she was surrounded by the bad guys? How was Poe meant to get to her? Before he could even think about a solution, he heard a voice.

"Drop your weapons!" His heart leapt uncomfortably. "Hands behind your heads!" Poe reluctantly set his blaster down. With the howl of the wind, he didn't hear them sneak up on him. He remembered the other, smaller blaster tucked away within the folds of his heavy coat. The thought comforted him. Rey protested a little, but was ultimately overpowered. The four of them were brought roughly towards the temple. Chewbacca roared into the wind at the group of ten Stormtroopers that had surrounded them.

"Ren will be pleased that we got the traitor and his little boyfriend." Poe rolled his eyes.

"It really took ten of you guys to get us? Wow… Well nice to see Kylo Jerk has stopped underestimating the Resistance." That snarky comment was rewarded with a sharp belt in the stomach. He laughed it off as a the pain spread. It took them a while to struggle into the perimeter of the Temple. The wind died into an eerie stillness and silence. In the distance he could see the storm still raging. He felt a shiver down his spine. God damned Force. They moved faster now, towards the pacing figure in black. Poe actually dug his heels into the ground. Fear gripped him. This was the monster he had been having nightmares about. The pair of Stormtroopers that held his arms tightly, threw him down at the feet of Kylo Ren. He heard the other three being discarded similarly. He wished he could talk to them, tell them it would be okay. But it wasn't going to be okay. They hadn't expected the First Order to catch up with them as quickly.

"The best pilot of the resistance graces us with his presence. Strange that I got here before you, if you're such a good pilot." Kylo Ren's horrible voice pierced Poe with a lance of terror and revulsion. Poe kept up a cool, calm façade. He wouldn't let it show. He had to be strong.

"Looks like your stuck outside. Not as strong as your sister? And here I thought you were the most powerful thing in the universe." he said with a smirk. Kylo Ren looked fit to burst. Before he could retaliate, however, he looked up at the door of the Temple. A figure was emerging.

"NO!" Rey shouted. Poe couldn't bear to look, but he had to. His heart was in his throat. Her long white hair framed her deadpan face. Her gorgeous hazel eyes slid over him, as though he weren't there. She walked out slowly, and Poe knew, she was gone.


	48. Chapter 48

Poe spat a heavy glob of blood out of his mouth, and glared up at the Stormtrooper who had hit him with the butt of a gun.

"That was just unnecessary. Chewie, tell em." The wookie roared at them. The Troopers seemed too scared to hit out at him. Poe felt a little bit better knowing he had good people supporting him, even though they were in the tightest bind of the century. Poe glanced over at Kylo Ren, who was taking off his helmet. Poe had never seen what the thing looked like. He moved towards his sister, so Poe couldn't see his face, but he saw a fall of shoulder-length brown hair. For some bizarre reason he hadn't expected hair. Hair was just so… human. Poe's eyes slid past Kylo Ren to take in Dara. She was dressed in a white Resistance uniform, designed for the snow. Her hair was a wild mane, her skin was paler, probably from the cold. Her face was more gaunt, her cheeks and eyes sunken. He felt his heart skipping a beat. Maybe it was breaking. She stared blankly ahead of her, graceful and still as a statue. Blank as stone. Poe felt tears in his throat. He was too late to stop her. To save her from the terrible decision she'd made. She had looked right through Poe when she had first come out. Now her eyes rested on Kylo Ren.

"Brother." Her voice was blank. Poe struggled to rise, and was hit again, behind the knees this time.  
"Stay down, Resistance Scum!"

"Alright!" Poe shouted. He felt a little bit of pressure around him for a second, but it was gone as quickly as it came on. "Rey, are you okay?" he called back over his shoulder.

"It wasn't me." she said quietly, worry in her voice.

"What wasn't you? What wasn't her? Dameron what's going on?"

"We're captured, Finn, that's what's going on." He didn't want to get his hopes up, but that sensation felt like the Force, surrounding him. It had to be her… But what if it was Kylo Ren?

"Sister… Have you joined me? Do you feel the power of the Dark Side?" Kylo Ren was just a short distance away from his sister. But Poe could still hear them. The stillness that surrounded the temple helped, he supposed. He compared the siblings. They were of a similar height. Kylo Ren was bulkier, more solid, perhaps. Dara was looking thinner than ever. If he was being honest, she looked unhealthy.

"There is no Light. There is no Dark. There is only the Force." Dara said in a calm, emotionless voice. Poe choked on something he was trying to say. Dara was always passionate, hot-blooded, in his opinion at least. She had a spark. She was mischievous. But now there was nothing. He felt like she had been extinguished. "I must bring balance to the Force." she said, her voice louder now, more firm. Poe could tell from Kylo Ren's stance that he was excited.

"Come with me, sister! We will bring balance to the Force together." He held out his hand. Poe had had enough.

"Fuck this…" he muttered to himself. "Get ready." he whispered to the others.

"For what?!" Finn whispered back, waspishly. Quick as lightning, Poe lumbered to his feet and made a run for Kylo Ren. Nobody seemed to see him for a second, or register what he was doing, for it took the Stormtroopers that split second too long to react. He hurled himself into Kylo Ren, and fished inside his heavy coat for the blaster. His hands closed around the handle. He began to pull when he heard that surge of energy and crackle of Ren's sabre. He felt a burning pain stabbing him through the shoulder. Poe's fingers slackened on the blaster, and he saw Kylo Ren's face for the first time. Pale and sallow skinned. He had his mother's eyes, but they were filled with cruelty and hatred. The face of a monster, with the same cheekbones and lip shape as his Dara. How could one child have been so cruel and the other so caring? His eyes slid over to Dara, in the moment in time, where he still stood on his feet as the blaster fell through air. Her eyes connected with his. Blank. Emotionless. They were like precious gems. Beautiful, but lifeless. There was nothing left of her there. He tried to hold himself together for a second, but he felt blood starting to ooze out of him. He fell to the ground at her feet, staring ahead of him, locked within his own agony. Ren must have nicked something important for that much blood to be pumping out of him.

Poe heard screaming and the wookie's roar. His friends. He heard the Stormtroopers shouting at them to get down, literally beating them into submission. He heard a particularly vicious crack and Rey squealed. "FINN!" That couldn't have been good. Poe's fingers curled in the snow that was blossoming into a bright scarlet. He stared at Dara's white snow boots, blood splattered on them. He wasn't a stranger to the sight of his own blood, but Kylo Ren's stupid badly-made lightsabre had done him in with a wound that should not have been this bad. By the colour and the way the blood pumped, he knew an artery had been ruptured. Of all the ways to die, it had to be at his own stupidity.

"No." Dara's voice. Quiet. Calm. He felt that brush of pressure once more. It had been her. Poe felt a boot connecting with his stomach. He heard his own voice calling out in pain. That damned asshole had literally kicked him when he was down.

"Fuck you Kylo Jerk!" he hissed out. That was rewarded with another kick to the stomach. He groaned in agony again.

"Shut your hole, pilot!" The pressure around Poe intensified, so much so that he was finding it a little bit difficult to breathe.

"NO." Dara said more firmly now. Poe gazed up at the brother and sister. Kylo Ren stared at her, his lightsabre still flickering in his hand. Dara's brows were drawn. Was that a display of emotion? "Do not kick him again, Ben." There was a waver in her voice.

"What do you care of him? You and I are royalty! We are the living Force! We are the grandchildren of the chosen one! The most powerful people in the galaxy! He's scum. He's nothing. He's short and old and he isn't like us! You could do so much better for yourself." Poe wanted to protest with a sassy comeback, but he was starting to feel drowsy. He saw Dara's fist clench above him. That pressure was building all around him. His ears popped like when he was flying away from a planet. It was atmospheric. Before either of the siblings could say anything, a number of things happened. He heard a quiet voice in the distance, authoritative and persuasive. Then he heard the crunch of boots in the snow, the sound of a lightsabre (properly made) surging into life. He saw Kylo Ren turn, sabre still in hand, a snarl etched into his features. Then a blaster sounded, but it didn't make contact.

Poe haltingly turned himself over, grunting in pain. Agony lanced his every movement, but the wellbeing of his friends was more important to him than how he felt. As he rolled over, he saw Dara's outstretched arm over him, her fingers splayed, an angry look on her face. He saw that Rey was in mid-run, lightsabre gripped tightly. A blaster bolt was frozen about a foot from her, crackling in mid-air. Finn lay unconscious on the ground, an angry Chewbacca standing over him. There were about five Stormtroopers who appeared to be mid-way through attempting to wrestle the wookie to the ground. And then there was Kylo Ren, stock still, unable to move. His eyes moving to Dara in horror. Poe saw about 50 Stormtroopers out in the snow beyond the temple, waiting to come in to Kylo Ren's aid, but they too were stock still. Poe stared up at Dara wide eyed. He had seen her do some incredible things before, but this amount of sheer power was terrifying to him. And she wasn't even her anymore. There was no way to tell what side she would be on.

"NO!" That single word left her lips in a terrifying shriek, amplified by power and fury. "You will not hurt him! You will not hurt them!" Poe's breathing was strangely laboured. It was a lot of effort to draw breath past his lips, to keep his eyes open.

"Dara…" He was shocked at how weak his voice was. Her eyes flickered down to meet his eyes after a time. They were filled with tears. She looked confused and wide-eyed.

"Feel, don't think. Use your intuition." The words came in a whisper. A man's voice. Behind Dara stood a host of people that Poe had not seen before. Men and women and different species. They stood behind her like a small army. The man who had spoken the words had a long tumble of hair and a cunning face.

"You see them, don't you?" She sounded like herself again.

"Is it you?" His words were slurring now, deathly weak. The world was spinning and Dara had an otherworldly glow about her.

"It was all a test. I don't need to sacrifice anything to have power. I am my own power. Just… Just stay with my Poe." Kylo Ren grunted in annoyance but he couldn't speak.

"Just be happy Dara. Just be happy. For me." She was kneeling beside him, his head hoisted up into her lap, her fingers stroking his hair, tears splashing down onto his face.

"I'm sorry. For everything." He raised a hand, touching her face. He left a trail of blood on her warm cheek. He was glad he got to feel some warmth before he left this life. A small laugh escaped his lips.

"Typical me. Have to die the second I find you again."

"Don't say that!" He felt overwhelmingly tired all of a sudden. It wasn't scary, it wasn't even painful anymore. Now was the time to sleep and never wake. He smiled at her one last time, feeling his eyes forcing themselves shut.

"I love you Dara Solo." he breathed. Then there was only the great black, and there was no more pain or worry. It was all over.


	49. Chapter 49

This afterlife gig was crap. Everything was dark and there were muffled voices in the distance? Was he doomed to an eternity of annoyance for being too much of a smartass? Probably. People never liked the guy with the witty comeback. And what was with that pain in his shoulder? And all over his body? This was not what he had signed up for. Granted, he had never been great at the whole practicing religion thing. But he knew the Force was a thing. He knew Jedi, surely that should get him a ticket to an afterlife where all the ships ran smoothly and fast and where he was surrounded by beautiful people at all times who adored his brand of humour. He had died for the goddamn Force! He expected better than this.

"I think he's coming round." The voice was less muffled and Poe could pick out words now. Yes. He was coming around. To the realisation that being dead sucked. He'd never done it before, he hadn't known what to expect, but this wasn't it.

"POE!" The voice was garbled but he recognised it.

"No… You can't be here." Poe's voice was equally muffled and garbled. Could he not even enjoy his own dulcet tones in this void he was doomed to for eternity?!

"It's okay, Zoomer. I'm here. It's gonna be fine."

"Tata no…" There was a harsh light suddenly, he squinted against.

"You haven't called me that in a long time, Ping Pong." Poe realised he was squinting and he was hurting. He had been a fool to think he was dead. It suddenly came rushing in to him that he was viscerally and painfully alive. It was glorious.

"Oh shitting hell." Poe groaned. He started to pick out shapes in the light. People were standing around him. There were short ones, tall hairy ones, dark ones, and then there was his father sitting right beside him. He felt his father, smoothing back his hair.

"You need a haircut and a shave. And watch that language. Your mother raised you better than that."

"Mom swore all the time." Poe could see more clearly now. Standing just beyond his dad was Dara, wringing her hands and looking extremely anxious.

"I met this man a while back and he helped me, so I brought you here. It looks like you two know each other, so that's good." Poe struggled to sit up.

"Dara meet Kes Dameron, my Father." If it was possible for the malnourished Princess to become paler, she did.

"Your… Your Dad?" Poe smiled a little, a small laugh escaping him, followed by a terrible bout of coughing. He was back in his childhood home, on the bed he had slept in for a large portion of his life, surrounded by things he had kept as a child, and some remnants of his adult life. His father had kept every certificate, medal and trophy that Poe had earned, and there were a lot of them. His achievements were like a wallpaper in this room. To him it simply told him how much his father loved him and how very proud of him he was.

Kes stood up and took a look at Dara.

"So you're Han's girl?" Dara nodded mutely. With a touch of amusement, Poe noted that he had never seen Dara look so terrified in her life. "He was a good friend of mine back in the day. He'd be very proud of you. I'm sure you know that, but he would." Poe saw Dara's bottom lip quiver and her eyes crinkle up in an effort to push back tears. Kes noticed this as well, and decided to give her a second. "Poe, I patched you up as best I could and transfused a little blood over. You're on a drip, so try not to flail your arms too much, son. There's a good lad." He nodded then, made his way from the room. Chewbacca bleated after his father. Of course they would have known each other. Poe became aware of the needle biting into his hand. He drew a breath through his teeth. He hated needles. He felt a wave nausea, but he maintained control of his stomach. Rey smiled at the end of Poe's bed, and squeezed his blanketed foot, awkwardly.

"You'll be fine. We're gonna take care of you now, for once." Rey left the room, leaving only Finn and Dara with him. Finn's eyes darted around, and he looked like he wanted to say something.

"Spit it out." Poe said, a smile in his voice. He decided he liked being alive again. Well. Still. But seeing all their faces was much better than that blackness and muffled noise.

"You're an idiot. You could have died. What would any of us do then?! Don't do something dumb like that again!" Finn looked like he was winding up into a full-on tirade.

"Finn… Come on." Dara's tone was admonishing, and firm. She drew herself up to her full height, and was more of a reigning Princess than ever before.

"Fine. I'm gone. Doesn't change the fact that he's a fool." Finn stormed out, but Poe could see that he was shaking.

"He shouldn't have said that." Dara said. They were alone now and she took the chair beside Poe's bed.

"He was just scared. He cares about me. Can't be angry at him for that." It was touching, if truth be told. Knowing people cared about him did wonders for him. He felt happy, and very lucky to have such good people.

"I think he loves you actually. You did name him. Free him. Help him have more of an identity. Set him on a course that makes him proud of himself. Happy. He owes you a lot. And he worships the ground you walk on."

"Are you jealous?" he looked up at her face, and saw that the corners of her mouth were drawn down a little. She smiled when she caught his gaze. She took up his hand in hers.

"Maybe a little. But you're right. Can't hate him for caring about you." Poe felt the warmth of her hand. She looked clean, and her skin had regained some of its colour. Her hazel eyes were warm and filled with emotion, and he could see her thinking in there. Could see that spark of intelligence.

"So you're still you?" She dipped her eyes and took a steadying breath. Poe felt another wave of nausea. He closed his eyes against the overwhelming sensation and clamped his mouth shut. Maybe that blurry darkness hadn't been all bad.

"For the most part I'm still me. Yes." His eyes snapped open. The fall of her long white hair tickled his arm, but he didn't care. His eyes were on her beautiful face. She had picked up a few scratches and a new scar along her jaw. This journey hadn't been easy for her. She still had the ghost of terror on her features. She must have been so scared and lonely, chasing something that was impossible.

"What do you mean, for the most part?" She was avoiding looking at him. "Dara…" She took another breath.

"I saw things, okay. I saw the dead. The temple made me see my loved ones suffer. And I met every Jedi that had become one with the Force. But I also met myself. What I could have been if I walked on the Dark Side of the Force. I had to become her. I'm not the same. I'm not the good person you met. I'm not pure and good." Poe resisted the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes with great difficulty.

"You know, normal people aren't predetermined as pure or evil. What really matters is the choices we make. There isn't actually an all-knowing power out there that determines who you are. You define yourself. So if you make the right choices, won't you be just the same? If you have powers from the Dark Side but you don't abuse them, then won't you be a good Jedi?" She opened her mouth to protest. She struggled for a while, spluttering out the odd word here and there, but ultimately she said nothing.

"You thought you would go into that temple and find some great power, didn't you?"

"But I was already powerful. I just didn't see it."

"Was that temple seriously just a confidence boost?" She smiled and gave his hand a squeeze.

"No. All jedi were like me once. Tempest. They wanted to live a life that was balanced right smack in the middle between the light side and the dark side of the Force, without giving in to the darkness. It was a test to them. Anyone who gave in… Didn't come out." Poe's breath caught in his throat. That could have been her. So yes, there had been a big risk in her going to that temple. It wasn't the case that she would never have emotions again. He could chalk that one up to a breakdown in translation. But it was the case that she may never have come out again.

"So… Can you do different things now?" That sounded incredibly stupid to his own ears. He closed his eyes in disbelief at his own stupidity.

"Yes." He was relieved to hear a laugh.

"I'm sorry. That was… dumb." She waved a hand.

"It's fine. Yes. I think passing their test let me see more. I can talk to all the ghosts if I want to. I can do things I never thought I could. I'm allowing myself to feel more, and I think that makes me more powerful." Poe, in the haze of antibiotics and painkillers, smiled up at Dara, touching his hand to her face.

"I missed you, Princess." She took his hand into her own.

"I know." After a moment staring into his eyes, she spoke again. "I missed you too. So much." He was very glad that she hadn't apologised for leaving. He didn't want an apology. He was glad that she had the initiative to get up and do what was needed, no matter how dangerous.

"I'm proud of you. You were brave where nobody else would have been. You're an incredible woman, you know that?" She chuckled.

"You're getting sentimental." Try to get some rest hero. When you wake next someone might actually have cooked some food." It was Poe's turn to laugh.

"My dad is the chef. Talk to him."


	50. Chapter 50

The smell of cooking food roused Poe from sleep. He woke up much steadier this time. He was alone, and the pain and nausea had eased off greatly. He groaned all the same. That was always the way. He couldn't bear to get up. He felt exhausted, but he knew he couldn't stay in bed forever. He rolled out of bed, very slowly, feeling ten times older than he really was. He awkwardly dressed himself. He found that his chest lanced with pain whenever he strained his arm too much. It made putting a shirt on more stressful than he had ever had thought putting a shirt on could be. He gave up on buttons, and just went out into the main room, sniffing at the food happily.

"Something smells great." Kes stood at the stove cooking breakfast. Waffles, or pancakes or something delicious.

"Hey son. Feeling okay?" Poe shivered.

"Little chilly." His father glanced over at him.

"Finn, could you help Poe out with his shirt. His arm isn't working so good." Poe finally saw Finn and Rey sitting at the kitchen table, mugs of warm tea in their hands. Finn got up slowly, and avoided looking Poe in the eye. If he could have buttoned up Poe's shirt with his closed, he probably would have.

"Thanks." Poe muttered, feeling a little bit awkward. His father had seen that there was something between the two men before now. And that hadn't gone away. They were fond of each other. They had slept together. And now Finn was helping him dress.

"No problem."

Poe wandered around his kitchen peeking over his father's shoulder to see what he was cooking. Pancakes.

"Where's Dara?" He saw his father tense his shoulders.

"She's outside. In the ship. With an unexpected surprise." Poe didn't like the sound of that.

"I'm going out to see her." Before Poe had gone two steps, his father called after him.

"There's a blaster in the middle drawer of the cabinet in the living room. Bring it with you." Poe knew something was wrong now. He didn't ask why his dad thought he needed to bring a blaster with him to go and see Dara, but he trusted his father. He gave a smile to the other two, who were nursing their own wounds, and talking quietly. They didn't look too happy. He wondered if there was trouble in paradise between them. But they seemed to be arguing the same point together. They weren't unhappy with each other. They were unhappy with something else. The same thing. Poe retrieved the blaster from where his dad said it was, and held it in his good arm.

He hobbled his way out the front door, staring for a second at the Millennium Falcon parked up just outside his door. He thought for a moment how excited kid Poe would have been to see that ship outside his front door. He smirked for a moment. So maybe one of his birthday wishes had finally come true. He had been inside the Millennium Falcon when it had flown. He just hadn't been very awake for it. He made his way towards the ship, and climbed inside. He knew something was off straight away. There was a thickness to the air. Force. He was hesitant to continue inside, but he took a breath and strode forward. He thought that he was going to see something he didn't want to see on this ship. He was greatly uneasy. He came out level in the passenger bay and knew he had been right about everything he had felt entering the ship.

"You have to pay for everything you have done." Dara said, the cold voice of a Queen only penetrated by the slightest hint of strain and…. Pleading? Poe stared at Dara glaring down at her brother, bound heavily and barely able to move.

"They will put me to death for all I have done. If you wanted me dead, you could have just killed me yourself, you coward!" he hissed. Poe gripped the blaster a little bit tighter in his hand, and stared at Kylo Ren in horror.

"What have you done, Dara?" Poe's hand shook, his eyes wide. She turned slowly to look at him.

"I've captured our enemy." Poe wanted to shout from sudden panic. She had capture the galactic enemy number one, and brought him right to Poe's doorstep. He didn't voice his concerns.

"Feed him, but we'll have to leave soon. We need to hand him over to the proper authorities." Poe realised that Dara was the only person in the galaxy who was fully equipped to subdue and control Kylo Ren.

"Ben isn't going anywhere." Dara said, quietly. Poe knew she meant that he wasn't going to leave the ship. He was incapacitated. But Poe felt no better. He nodded, gripping the blaster all the tighter.

He walked woodenly back into his home, his breathing starting to come faster and faster. It came with great difficulty and pain. He found himself in his kitchen, his dad rushing to his side. The blaster fell from his suddenly slack fingers, and he found himself falling to his knees beside it. He found himself gasping for breath, his sight becoming fuzzy. He felt a hard smack to his face. A sharp intake of breath later, and he found himself calming a little, coming back around.

"Son…" Rey and Finn were standing just a few steps away, looking very worried.

"How dare she… How dare she bring THAT to my home!" Poe gasped, weakly. The man who had tortured both himself and Rey. Who had acted as an oppressor to Finn. And his father, who was all alone here. Now that monster knew where his father lived.

"Someone had to take him in, son. You know that." Poe shook his head back and forth, and not for the first time, he felt the pain that had ripped through all his nerve endings; the memory of Kylo Ren' torture.

"I don't want him here!" Poe yelled, suddenly bleary eyed. Finn and Rey made to come forward, by Kes waved them away.

"Come on son. Let's get you back to bed. I think you've got a bit of talking to do." Poe felt his father hoisting him up, putting his arm around his shoulders. "You know you need to talk to someone about these things." Kes said gently, guiding Poe back to his room. Poe simply stared ahead of him numbly. That creature had tortured him, been inside his head, and nearly killed him. He had a list of offences against Poe that were just racking up over time, each more horrible than the last. His father sat him down on his bed, and waited patiently, for Poe to begin speaking. Bless his father. He had always been a great dad. After a long silence, Poe launched into his story.


	51. Chapter 51

They had spent very little time in Kes Dameron's home on Yavin 4. Poe refused to stay there longer than necessary. He would miss his father terribly as always, even at one point begging him to come with him. But Kes was retired and would not budge. Poe couldn't justify keeping Kylo Ren near his father for another second more than was necessary. He and his father had talked long into the day, Poe getting many things off his chest. He knew that there was no-one in the galaxy that understood him the way his father did. Nobody was happy to have Kylo Ren nearby. When the First Order had come to Yavin 4, when Poe had warned his father to get underground, not everyone had made it. Many of Poe's friends and neighbours had been hurt or killed. Including his first girlfriend. Dead. Nobody in the Dameron house was happy to have him there. Poe rationally understood why Dara had him at hand. Why she had captured him. But he couldn't help but to feel angry at her for it. He didn't express this anger. He behaved civilly towards her, but he knew he was on a knife's edge when Kylo Jerk was around.

He took some pleasure in pulling up the Millennium Falcon with Chewbacca. One of his dreams had come true in that action. She handled like a very clunky dream. He set himself up elsewhere in the ship, resting and focusing on healing. Dara had crammed her brother into a smaller room, in an attempt to make everyone a little bit more comfortable. But nobody was comfortable. There was tension and fear surrounding them all. As much as they loathed him, as subdued as he was, they were all afraid of Kylo Ren. Rey came and sat with Poe, remaining silent for a while. She was being companionable, which put Poe a little bit at ease.

"I hate that guy." he said, suddenly, his voice cracking from lack of use. Rey nodded sagely and cleared her throat.

"We all do. But Finn told me about… You know." Poe looked away from her for a moment, feeling very raw, like the torture had just happened yesterday.

"It was awful. That metal table was so cold. Couldn't even put a bit of cushioning on the damn thing. And I asked for their finest vegetarian dish, and they gave me nothing! Terrible service!" Poe joked, with gusto. But he knew Rey would see through his bravado. She gave him a smile for his attempt at joking. She didn't needle him though. He never appreciated properly how good a friend Rey was. She was a very emotionally intelligent person, and Poe was grateful for that.

"So that was your dad." Poe couldn't help but give a genuine smile. He was very proud of his father. He was a hero, and a really great father.

"Yeah. That was my dad. Kes. He's a great guy." Rey asked him a few questions every now and again to get him talking about his dad. She had relaxed him almost completely, and he hadn't even noticed.

"Your dad is very important to you." Rey said, smiling at him over her knees, which she hugged tightly to her chest. Poe nodded, starting to suspect that she had an end-goal with this conversation. "Dara's important to you too…" she said, cautiously. Poe stared at Rey, not quite sure what to say. He was very much in love with her. Cared about her immensely. But he couldn't get around this Kylo Ren issue. He didn't want him around him.

"You're scared Poe. We all are. We've all suffered at that man's hands. But don't forget. None of us has suffered more than she has." Rey plucked a strand of Poe's growing hair out of his face, giving him what he could only describe as a motherly smile. She said no more, and left him to think for a while.

He managed to hobble his way around the ship, and came upon the open door of a small sleeping chamber. Dara sat upon the bed, staring at the wall, something dark clutched in her hands. He hesitated. What Rey had said made sense. Yes, Poe had suffered at the hands of Kylo Ren, but Dara had lost a much beloved father at the hands of her own brother. While he didn't like having that man around, he knew that this was exceptionally hard for her. He tentatively knocked on the doorframe.

"I was wondering how long you were going to stand out there." Her voice had the muggy quality that denoted that she had been crying. He carefully stepped into the cramped sleeping quarters. She was holding a black jacket. "This used to be my dad's bed." And that was probably her dad's jacket. He knew the pain of losing a parent. He supposed that losing them when you were older, and understood it all properly was just that little bit more horrible. But there were so many memories that Poe had never gotten to make with his mother. So much he wished she knew about him. She'd be proud.

"Are you okay, Princess?" he said softly . She still had her back to him, but she turned her head, red scratches on her cheeks that obviously she had inflicted on herself.

"No." The misery in her voice made him rush to her, as best as he could. "I hate him. So much. He destroyed everything. But he's still Ben. He's twisted, and wrong. But he's still my brother. I only have him and my mom now." Her situation was impossible. His sympathy and grief for her was intense.

"I hate that I'm bringing the murderer of Han Solo back to my mother. Bringing her son back to her. This will break her heart. Again." Poe sat on the edge of his bed. What could he possibly say to her to make this situation any better. He opted for putting an arm around her. She leaned into him, her hair tickling his face, her tears soaking his neck. It was a simple gesture, but it was all he could really do.

"You're doing the right thing." She didn't reply, but he saw some of the tension leaving her shoulders. Sometimes all a person needed was a vocal recognition. Positive affirmation. No matter how much he disliked it, she was doing the right thing.


	52. Chapter 52

Dara had managed to work up the courage to send word ahead to her mother about their guest. Leia had sounded so relieved to hear from Dara after so long. She assured her mother that she was fine. Her mother gushed and chastised as all mothers did, but she became silent when Dara mentioned that they had Ben.

"When can we expect you?" Leia had asked, stiffly. She was shocked, feeling an ocean of conflicting emotions.

"In a day. We're nearly home, mother." Their conversation had been short, but it was clear that they were both now miserable. It was at the same time fascinating and horrendous how one person could ruin the lives of so many. Dara had few comforts in the tense atmosphere on the Millennium Falcon. She spent a lot of time with Chewbacca, reminiscing about her father. Chewbacca told her many stories of their misadventures together. Her other comfort was Poe. He was always a comfort to her. Her sassy, sometimes sarcastic, pilot. She didn't know Rey nearly as well as she would like to. She was a smart girl. She was like the glue that held them all together. And she still didn't quite know what to make of Finn. Excitable and grumpy, it was such an odd mix for a young man. But he had been a Stormtrooper.

The dread tightened in her stomach as she entered the small cramped quarters where she kept Ben confined as they were angling the Falcon down towards the base to land. Poe had taken over being the main pilot from Rey, alongside Chewbacca, who had always preferred being the co-pilot. She stepped into the room alone. The atmosphere was one of strain and anger. Ben was straining against Dara's hold on him with all his might, but failing. He would not break free. She had become much stronger than him. It had not always been so, she recalled. But now was the only time that truly mattered.

"It's time for you to face our mother." she said, quietly, her voice cracking and breaking. Ben only stared at the opposite wall. He wouldn't look at her, wouldn't speak to her. And so it remained until they were walking out of the ship down onto the heavily guarded runway. Dara had bound his hands behind his back, more-so for show. The Resistance forces may not have felt very reassured to see him walking into their base with his hands swinging free.

"Are you ready to break your own mother's heart, sister?"

"Shut. Up." she muttered through her clenched teeth.

The Resistance forces gazed at the party of seven making their way down the gauntlet that had been marked out by armed men and women. They stared in wonder, they whispered amongst each other. But they did not cheer, they did not clap. They did not celebrate. They knew that he was Leia's son. They remained silent out of respect for her. And there she stood. It seemed like she was miles away. She stood as tall as she possibly could, and she saw that her Uncle Luke stood beside her. Dara felt some small measure of comfort knowing that her mother had him here. That they could face down Kylo Ren together. Poe walked by her side, but not even his presence could take the sick tortured feeling away from her. The walk from the ship to her mother seemed to take forever. Dara gripped Ben's bound hands in a tight claw. She felt her nails digging into his skin, but if he complained she didn't hear. Everything around her was white static. She had dreamed of this moment many times. It was triumphant, it was victory. She had taken her brother away from the darkness! Rescued him! But now she was simply brining a murderer in to face his fate. There was no way that they could be lenient on him. He had helped to kill billions. This was a death march.

They finally came to stand before General Organa, who stared them all down with a severity that Dara rarely got to see in her mother's face.

"Dameron. I asked you to seek out my daughter and return her safely. Yet again, you have proven yourself to be a valuable member of this Resistance, achieving the impossible yet again. You have my deepest gratitude and respect." Dara knew, that to Poe, that was the highest honour he could ever achieve.

"Thank you General." He was a little choked up. Emotional. It almost made her smile. Almost.

"Rey, Finn. As always, you have turned up in unexpected places and shown yourselves to be endlessly helpful. I thank you both." They both nodded, and Rey gave an awkward smile. She did not address Chewbacca. She was sure she would have some choice words for him later on for assisting her daughter on what could deemed to be a suicide mission.

"Dara Varana Solo." Her voice carried out into the crowd, ringing out. "You have achieved what many have been trying to do for years. You have brought our greatest enemy to hand. Kylo Ren, dog of the First Order." The creases on her mother's face deepened as she spoke these harsh words about her son. She had a look of distaste and great hurt. "This is a day of great victory for the Resistance. For the new Republic. And you are to be commended and celebrated." It was as though her words gave permission to those who had gathered to be happy, to cheer, as they suddenly erupted in applause and roaring cheers. Dara looked away for a moment, catching Poe's eye. He looked sickened. He knew that this was a time of new mourning brought to the Organa Solo family.

Ben stared at his mother, and there was what appeared to be genuine sorrow in his eyes. To be faced with his mother, who did her job reluctantly enough, knowing that she would most likely have to have him put to death. It could not have been an easy thing. She thought perhaps that this had finally humbled him.

"Mother… Please…" he said quietly. Leia glared down at her son, horror etched into every part of her face. It softened into deep sadness quickly enough.

"You will join your father soon enough Ben. I'm sorry. It's out of our hands. You will stand trial, and you will be found guilty." Luke said. Ben looked at his uncle for the first time, a look of twisted hatred transforming his features, but he did not speak again. Leia still stared down at her son, her heart clearly breaking all over again. She had borne him into this life, and she had watched as he destroyed it. She felt like she had failed him. Her guilt and sorrow and anger must have made for a despairing cocktail of emotion.

"Take him away." her mother said, in a shaky voice.

Walking away from the roar of the crowd into the sparsely occupied base felt completely surreal to her. Dara walked alone with Ben, a few guards trailing a bit behind. Her friends had stayed behind, and she could feel their sympathetic gazes in her back. She felt that she was the one marching to her own death.

"They are going to kill me, sister." Ben said. Fear did not make an appearance in his voice. He was steady and seemingly calm.

"What did you expect would happen, Ben?"

"I thought I could change things. Change the balance of the Force. Thought after a time I could stop him." He sounded more impassioned now. Fevered almost.

"You were weak, and you were taken in. There is no strength in the Dark side, nor is there strength in the Light. There is only strength within ourselves and the choices we make. And you have always lacked conviction. You have always felt mortally wronged by…. Something. You have always found something to pity yourself for. But now… You have gotten yourself into this mess Ben, and there is no way out. I could have helped you earlier on down this road, but now we are at the end, and I cannot pull you out." She found the high security holding cell, and opened the door with a quick thought. "This fate is of your own making, and now you must languish in it." she said, her tone softer than her words. She gave him a small push into the cell, and closed the door with a clank, building up strong walls of her power around it. But she could tell he was broken. He was finished here.

"We could have done so much good together. I see that now." Ben said, his deep voice carrying through the glass on the door. He easily broke the bonds around his hands, and placed a hand on the glass. "Promise me you will do what has to be done." He hammered his palm on the glass as Dara turned away. "Promise me!" he yelled. She walked away from her brother. She would make no promises to him. He didn't deserve any.


	53. Chapter 53

The day came and went without any great fanfare. The fate of a man's life was announced in a single breath. And that was it. Life went on, and nobody cared. Nobody would be sad to see him gone. Except them. The Solo-Organa family. Poe sat next to Dara, their arms touching, and their hands just brushing. They had had to travel to Coruscant yet again, for the trial of Kylo Ren. It was a big event, and Dara appeared to the galactic Republic as the Queen of Alderaan. She dressed in black, her face painted very white. Her white hair was designed in an orderly array around her beautiful face. Her gown was simple, but large. There was a certain duplicity to Dara. There was the Jedi woman whom he loved for her strong sense of humanity, and there was the Queen, who was supreme in her power. But Poe knew her. These parts of her identity all blended together to make one astonishing human being. And she sat stiffly beside him, with her mother on the other side, staring at her brother from afar. His death was announced to thunderous applause. At that, Dara stood an left, her long black robes trailing behind her. The General didn't even look after her daughter. Her eyes were fixed on her son who would soon be lost to her forever.

Poe caught up to Dara, who walked much faster than him thanks to her long legs, outside. The sun shone obnoxiously bright. Poe thought that it should be raining on such a horrible day. But he knew that in other parts of the city, people were basking in the sun and laughing. But Dara looked like she would never laugh again. He gently took her elbow, and looked up into her heavily powdered face. It was like a mask, smooth and perfect. But her eyes gave her away. The tears that swam there threatened to spill out. But she was as still as a statue, her face like marble didn't move.

"What can I do?" Poe asked, knowing that asking her if she was okay would be a redundant inquiry.

"Walk with me." she said, every bit the queen. In times of great sorrow when people could see her, she would fall back on being the queen, and hide it all away. Poe started to walk, guiding Dara. For all her appearances of composure, she was a shambling mess, with no direction. He took her to a park that he had once been sent to to look for her. He realised with a jolt that that was almost a year ago. The cherry blossoms were in bloom again. He guided her to a bench, and helped her to sit. The pair of them received odd looks. A Princess in her outlandish regalia and a simply dressed commander of the Resistance forces. They were unlikely bench-mates.

"I have lost him. For good this time. I can't save him once he's dead." Her hand had the lightest of tremors, as did her voice. "People will never see the good person that he once was. They will only ever see the monster he became. And they will celebrate his death." He could almost feel the guilt radiating from her. Guilt that she didn't deserve.

"His fate is not your fault. Your brother made choices, and you did absolutely everything in your power to stop him, to turn him around. But there is only so much we can do. He didn't meet you halfway and turn things around. He has only himself to blame for the position he is in." Poe couldn't even begin to grasp what it was like to be related to someone who took a wrong turn in life and who never turned back. Watching someone you love self-destruct, and no matter how hard you try, you can't do anything about it. It must have been a strange and unusual kind of torture.

"He was led astray. But this is fault. He could have left. He didn't have to follow Snoke. He could have stayed with me! He never should have left me!" Dara said, angrily, tears now starting to cut tracks through the white makeup on her face. Poe didn't care at this point how the people stared at them, or who knew about them. He put an arm around her, and held her close.

"None of this is your fault." He spoke with a bit more certainty, with more strength in his voice. She nodded, and surprisingly she had a small smile.

"I know. I know. But I mourn him. Who he used to be. But my life must and will go on." She nestled her face into the crook of his neck. "And I have you." His arm tightened around her for a moment.

"You do. You always will."

He had a fierce love for her. He loved others in his life, he knew that. He had never been the sort of person to keep his love to only one. But he would only be with her if it made her happy. He was happy being with her, and she wasn't quite ready for the way he loved people. Maybe she never would be. But he would be just for her for a time. He felt exceptionally protective of her, even though she had an army at her beck and call. Even though she was the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy. Poe knew, that despite how strong you were, sometimes you just needed help. And he would help her any way he could.

"While this is the death of my brother, it is the first great step to galactic liberation. We are turning the tables on the First Order. And we will win! We will be free! And we will give them the fight of the century!" He was glad to hear some of the fire returning to her voice. She stood, patting the tears from her face delicately. She had an air about her that commanded respect that Poe had always admired. Her mother was the very same. He supposed he could call it a regal bearing. Joining her again for a walk around the park, she clung to his arm tightly, even though it was far below her.

"This is the first place I saw you, you know." There was a tone of amusement in her voice.

"Really? I thought it was love at first sight in the bar." he said, dryly. She didn't laugh, but she looked amused.

"My mother knew me well to send you here to me." She stopped beneath a cherry blossom tree, the gently petals just lightly brushing her head. There were times he realised just how tall she was.

"Well, little does your mother know what happened from sending me here to find you." Poe reached up, giving her a very gently kiss, probably plastering himself in all the makeup she wore. A small laugh escaped her now, against his lips.

"Of course she knows." Poe was gripped with unreasonable blind panic. She knew? She knew that Poe and Dara were together? He felt like he was going to pass out. "She's not blind Poe. She sees how we look at each other." Poe was lost for words. What was he meant to say? He was still gripped with cold hard panic. "Don't worry. She approves. I think some part of her feels like you are the type of son that she never got to have. She thinks you take care of me and ground me. All in all, she just wished it had happened sooner, apparently." Poe stared blankly at Dara, still struggling to make sense of this and to form words.

"Did your mother, my General, groom me to be your perfect match? Did she send me, on purpose?"

"She trusted you the most with me." Dara shrugged. "All in all, we can stop pretending around her for your benefit. She knows." Poe would have to think long and hard about this.

"Well at least I don't have to worry about her finding out and murdering me anymore." It was some relief to have the big bad secret gone and out of the way. At last.

"Oh I wouldn't stop worrying just yet. She may yet still have you killed." He followed after her, as she had moved away, asking her what she meant in great panic. Even though the inevitable had happened and the galaxy would celebrate her family being torn apart, Dara was happy to know that she had a future, and that she had done everything she could have done. With the regrettable and inevitable loss of her brother, there would be nothing to stand in Dara's way, or in General Organa's way to stop them from taking the First Order by storm. And Poe would be beside all of them, fighting tooth and nail for this piece of happiness he was enjoying in the Park with his love, Dara Varana.


End file.
